BLINN EMPLOYEES TO ADDRESS BLINN BOARD TONIGHT

  

Unhappy Blinn College employees and supporters are expected to turn out for tonight’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Blinn College Board of Trustees in Brenham.

Over the past year a number of long-time Blinn College faculty members and employees on the Brenham campus have either resigned, been dismissed or reassigned.  This past week several employees, including a Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Admissions, and the Assistant to the Chancellor, were reassigned to different positions.  Dennis Crowson, who has been with Blinn for over 21 years, was reassigned from Vice Chancellor for Student Services to a position with “Special Projects”.  Andi Liner, the Dean of Admissions, was also reassigned to “Special Projects”.  And Becky Krebs, who has been the Assistant to the Blinn President, now Chancellor, since Don Voelter was President, has been reassigned to the Rankin Agriculture Complex.  Krebs was honored last fall as one of five new members of the Blinn College Hall of Honor.

The Blinn Board meets at 6 o’clock tonight (Tuesday) in the third floor board room of the Administration Building on the Brenham campus.

 

What’s your Reaction?
+1
0
+1
0
+1
0

31 Comments

  1. I have to say the last couple weeks as an employee has been sad and exhausting. We lost the battle before it began three years ago when the Board hired Dr. Hensley. Any employee with ties to Washington County at an executive level position are gone because Dr. Hensley has replaced them with “yes” men and women who are not even from here and have no ties to this community. The “yes” men and women DO NOT listen to the people at the bottom who DO the work, they have no clue about us or this college and really could care less about what we think or feel. The Board, with the exception of maybe one or two has continuously rolled over like dogs and let Dr. Hensley scratch their bellies. At what cost? Why? Have they walked the campus? Have they seen the frivolous spending? Have they asked ANY employee ANYTHING? To my knowledge, they have not. Why haven’t they? Do they NOT care? I feel the Board owes it to all the employees AND the taxpayers of Washington County to do their job and be bosses! When will this end and who will fight for us? Will it be forgotten in six months or a year? How can we let this go on? The employees have no voice as we have been silenced. If we do use it, as employees, we will be terminated, reassigned or our lives made miserable until we quit. I just hope and pray that the people in our community, who care about us and the college will band together and be our voice since we are not allowed.

  2. I am shocked at what I am reading. I cannot believe all this is happening right here in our community. How is it that in addition to a very generous compensation package we are providing housing in two cities that are less than one hour apart for the chancellor. That is a horrible waste of Blinn’s resources. Is it really true that they spent $30,000 on a glass wall and $15,000 on a sign for her office. If this is all true, the board needs to fire her now and if they don’t the board should be removed for failing to do their duty to be good stewards of the resources entrusted to them by taxpayers and students.

  3. To our taxpayers in the taxing district.
    Where is the Chancellor’s home? Has she bought a home and pay taxes here?
    What about the other vice chancellors?
    Where did she buy her stipend vehicle? I hope it was in Brenham, Bryan, schulenburg, or Sealy. Probably Austin.
    Can she handle a public forum without a scripted message or protection of a Board meeting?
    I have not seen her at local community functions and if a ride in a parade counts as local involvement, that’s not close.
    Let’s get the facts.

    1. yes-ask about the chancellor’s home! Blinn provides an on-campus house and she has an apartment in B/CS.

  4. How about a $15,000 sign that says Blinn behind the presidents desk. Could have fixed a lot of stuff with that!!!!

  5. I have no idea why a $30,000 glass wall was put up in the new administration building? Lots of repairs needed on buildings around campus.

    1. I sincerely doubt that cost $30,000. Was this just gossip or do you have a source?

      1. Blinn Employee, How can you doubt 30 grand? 2in thick ceiling to floor glass wall with a door and Blinn tower/logo etched into it. Or how about all the Unnecessary renows that were done in the Admin Building ONLY…HUH!?? The Student Center Leaks When It Rains! The floor gets wet and from what I seen when I was there last is the freshly painted walls have bubbles in them. There are always buckets or trash cans catching the water, needless to say the ceiling tiles are nasty and stained up….This is what people see when they walk into that building. I find myself not wanting to hold our company meetings in there for those Facts Alone! But I can’t beat the hospitality of the Blinn staff member that helps us through the day. But OHH forget about that right? Tell me what you know!.

        1. What is the reasoning in spending mega thousands $$$ on remodeling the food service area in the Student Center when the roof is a leaking mess?

  6. She loves frivolous spending on unnecessary items, and only does things for her and her cronies benefits, wish the board would send her packing.

  7. The writer of the previous response mentions the recent concerns, lack of morale and loss of Blinn faculty at BRENHAM. This same situation has been recognized as a problem at Blinn Bryan for the past five years.
    For the first 25 of my 30 years of teaching at Blinn Bryan I was proud of the academic excellence and concern for student success evidenced by Blinn. The appointment of Dr. Nolte marked the start of the decline of Blinn’s interest in these important areas. Nolte’s academic qualifications were limited and when he chose to cut class minutes and resources to pack in more fee paying students his lack of concern for student education and transferability became evident. The decline continued when Dr Hensley was hired in spite of faculty concerns. Again academic credentials were not a major concern in the hiring of Dr Hensley. Almost immediately she and Karen Buck began cancelling courses for no good reason. Sometimes the cancellations were too early during the registration period so needed courses were not available later in the registration period, or courses with reasonable numbers were cancelled at the last moment so that students and excellent part time faculty were left without needed courses and no substitutions. Numerous Complaints to Dr Hensley and to Blinn board members fell on deaf ears and were sometimes met with threats of retaliation from certain board members and administrators. Or Dr Hensley’s approach would sometimes be to listen, to pat concerned faculty on the shoulder and do absolutely nothing in spite of her professed concern.
    After fighting Blinn’s moves towards money and increasing administrative hierarchy at the expense of academic excellence, student success and faculty support in many arenas (faculty senate meetings, board meetings, legislative hearings and many letters to administrators, board members, legislators, AAUP and SACS), I retired in disgust. In doing so I joined many other faculty and staff who did their best for as long as they could stand the detrimental and discouraging atmosphere at Blinn

    1. As you know, Linda, courses are not cut for no reason. A class will only be cancelled if it is less than 70% full and it isn’t required toward any degree plan or it can be merged with another class. Even with this policy, This keeps faculty from teaching to a half-full classroom, and allows Blinn to keep student costs down. Even so, in many cases, Blinn keeps classes open if there isn’t a convenient alternative class section that students can take instead.

      Faculty don’t like this because it’s far easier to grade tests for classes that are half full, and they would rather complain about a policy utilized at community colleges across the state then help encourage enrollment in their courses.

      1. Blinn Employee…Student cost down?…Give me a Break! Mill Creek will be charging $4000.00, Yes 4 Grand a semester for 460 students…Grand total ‘made’ for the college $184,000 dollars…A Semester!, (4 months!) …Tell me exactly where that money goes? Not to Faculty for a raise, not to Staff for a raise, and definitely not for up keep on the Dorms or Leaky buildings.

  8. In 1993, I began a fourteen year tenure as Vice President for Academic Affairs. During that time I had the honor of working with a faculty whose credentials would rival that of many four-year institutions and whose dedication to students was second to none. During my tenure a consistent effort was made to have participatory management where faculty had input and responsibility in the decision making process. Quality faculty need quality facilities in which to teach. It is very disheartening to have students tell you that their small rural high school has better classroom facilities than your institution is providing. The mission of any institution of higher education is to teach the young men and women who choose to attend. Without faculty having the facilities and tools to teach the institution fails to meet its core purpose of existing. Whatever problems exist currently at Blinn College, the Board of Trustees must not forget that the focus must be on the students and the faculty that prepare them for the future.

  9. Three Words……*No Confidence Vote*

    Take a stand and remove the person that is pushing out highly educated Brenhamites! This is Brenham, Washington County….NOT Austin!

    1. I agree that many respected long time employees (especially those native to Brenham/Washington county) have been treated poorly by this woman who appears egotistical and power thirsty. However until the county tax payers can be stirred into action nothing will change. Voters must elect board members willing to stand up for our COMMUNITY college. Blinn was an excellent school and provided a great starting place for thousands of LOCAL young people. The community and local aspect seems to have been lost. Not only is local control being slowly eradicated but the class choices here on the HOME-WASHINGTON COUNTY CAMPUS are so few and unvaried that many local students have no choice but to go to Bryan to fulfill their core requirements -how disappointing! If the goal is to remove Blinn College from Brenham, Texas go ahead and do it but make sure you quit taxing the Washington county residents.

      1. HIRE LOCAL is so right!! I have a child that wanted to take classes on the Blinn Brenham campus last summer and this summer. The options for Washington County residents/tax payers are online courses, travel to Bryan campus or a handful of nursing classes. I really feel like they need to supply a bus to the Bryan campus if taxpayers are not able to utilize the campus in our own town that is supported by our taxpayer dollars. The news has Blinn hyped up with the new Rellis Campus and how it will work well with Tamu. This is all great but they fail to mention taxpayers in Washington County do not reap benefits from the new campus unless students travel to Bryan or live there. So much has changed in the past 5 – 8 years since my oldest attended classes on the Brenham campus. Those taxpayers that do not have anyone interested in taking classes at Blinn have no clue about the lack of course offerings locally. If someone knows the proper protocol to have Hensley removed from her position, please share. My thought is the Blinn board as a whole is who she answers to and can dismiss her. Could be totally wrong. Academics are not a concern of hers apparently, only selfish hirings and purchases on her part. Something desperately needs to be done quickly.

        1. I agree about the classes offered. I too, would like to take some computer classes but alas, they are all offered in Bryan and I cannot afford to take off of work to drive, take the class and drive back. It is sad, we have such few choices here locally.

  10. The Chancellor has finally eliminated any Brenham person from a high ranking position. She spends thousands on her office’s appearance meanwhile the teachers and students have classrooms in deteriorating conditions. The board must stop this narcissist from complete rule & make this once great college about the students again.

  11. Hope they are more successful at addressing the administrative malfunctioning than faculty were when we addressed the Board several years ago.

    Blinn was a very good community college until the Board decided to kill the goose that laid the golden egg…Academic quality.

    Blanche Brick, Ph.D.

  12. Mary Hensley, Blinn College’s President should of been fired years ago. Her careless nature and acting as if she’s above everyone including students (whom she rarely visited with) isn’t good for the college or the Brenham community. No one person is above an institution of higher learning. There has been many good employees who have left voluntarily and involuntarily because of her. The environment is very toxic. The Board of Trustees needs to wake up and deattach itself from her. It’s not too late to do what is right.

  13. I have spoken to many employees of Blinn since the Chancellor has taken over, most of whom have been there 10 plus years. There hasn’t been happiness, it seems, since she has been there. The morale, according to them, is at an all time low. As I have been told, she has spent unnecessary money on things that are not for the students, promoted people who have failing departments, let people directly under her manipulate others, appointed people to positions with high salaries, hired people with high salaries, and basically been given all the power so that employees have no say. The new positions are not the people who are on the front lines daily. Those people don’t get raises and positions are not refilled. Please go out and look at the Organizational chart as I have, it is a real eye opener. Also, as I was told, instead of the staff convocation being an uplifting experience, she berated the employees, and all the videos were about her. They told me the only thing good was the speaker, who was from EEOC, which she didn’t even stay for. Maybe she could have learned a few things. These employees remember the days of Dr. Voelter, who actually cared about the mission of the College and was not just after personal gains as it appears the present Chancellor is. Perception is and has been one of driving the College to the ground. As a citizen of Washington County and a person who loves Blinn College, I am truly concerned what will become of the College if this leadership is left where it stands now.

    1. Sounds like City of Brenham employees are in the same boat that also keeps springing leaks and is on the verge of sinking too. It is sad to see what local government entities have diminished too. Scary to think where each will be tomorrow as a result of continued poor leadership

      1. The City of Brenham has received a breath of fresh air with City Manager James Fisher. It has totally changed the atmosphere throughout the organization. Good things happen when you have leaders who care about employees and the citizens of the City of Brenham.

    2. So true…..Issues at the Brenham State Supported Living Center are not being addressed either. Employee morale is so low; in ALL departments that it is really sad. Friends do friends favors so they get the job they want, leadership not leading. Retaliation when you do speak out.
      I guess the only “good” thing I see is that not only is the SSLC having these problems, but so is the City Of Brenham and Blinn. Guess it happens everywhere as they say……

Back to top button