Since 2007, the five "no confidence" votes within the Califonia State University system— including the 2007 "no confidence" vote in president Reuben Armiñana— have not resulted in a single resignation. It is counterintuitive that a "no confidence" should be followed by anything besides a resignation, but then "counterintuitive" and CSU are becoming increasingly synonymous these days. However, given such a precedent, it is unlikely that the recently proposed "no confidence" vote in Armiñana and Chief Financial Officer and Vice President Larry Fukuwara-Schlereth will be anything other than redundant.
Since the previous "no confidence" vote in Armiñana, there has been nothing to suggest that the faculty has regained confidence in the administration. Three years have passed since the vote and faculty members have only become more outspoken in their objections to the president and his policies. The Board of Trustees, or Armiñana himself, cannot possibly be oblivious to the campus community's frustration. The Board of Trustee's has not responded to that frustration because its members are not answerable to the faculty, staff and student body— in not responding the original "no confidence" vote, the Board of Trustees told the campus community that its opinions didn't matter, as plainly as if the Board issued a statement. Armiñana made his opinions on the matter clear when, on his way out of a recent Senate meeting, he said, "I have total confidence in me – and the Vice President." A vote of "no confidence," while a healthy, democratic proposition, would be like trying to hold elections under a monarch who has never heard of the social contract— whatever the results are, the king isn't going to stop believing in "divine right."
Why spend precious time to hold a redundant "no confidence" vote?" The classical definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Rather than repeating 2007's "no confidence" vote, which best scenario will have zero results and worst scenario will encourage Armiñana to extend his term as president, the Senate would perhaps be more efficiently served by focusing its time on untried methods of dissension.
Got an opinion on the Senate's proposed "no confidence" vote? Weigh in by sending a letter to the editor to star@sonoma.edu or leave a comment at www.sonomastatestar.com.
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