PORTLAND, Maine — The University of Maine System chancellor who came under criticism for his handling of staffing and restructuring will keep his job for another year.
Trustees voted unanimously Monday to extend the contract for Chancellor Dannel Malloy despite recent votes of no confidence from faculty at three of the system’s seven campuses.
Hard feelings caused by the former two-term Connecticut governor came to a head with a botched hiring of a president for the Augusta campus.
Malloy declined to tell the search committee about previous no-confidence votes before the hiring of Michael Laliberte at the University of Maine at Augusta. Laliberte withdrew amid the controversy, but the system is on the hook for paying him up to $705,000 over three years.
The vote by trustees Monday at the University of Maine Hutchinson Center in Belfast came after several faculty members called for Malloy's firing.
Malloy was hired to make some unpopular changes, including implementing a single systemwide accreditation for all campuses. Faculty members expressed worry that the changes were a pretext for consolidation and program cuts.
His contract as chancellor expired on June 1, but there was a temporary extension to allow the full board to vote at its regular meeting.
In a news release issued by UMS, Malloy again expressed his remorse for how the University of Maine at Augusta presidential search unfolded.
"I am sorry for the turmoil my mistakes have created for Maine's public universities in recent months, and especially that they have distracted from the incredible accomplishments of our students, faculty, and staff," Malloy wrote.
"I want to thank the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to continue to serve as Chancellor of the University of Maine System. I am truly humbled by their unanimous vote for me today, and the experience of the past three months," he continued. "As we rise together to meet the challenges and changes ahead, I am committed to building trust and transparency, and enhancing communication and collaboration."
According to the release, Malloy agreed to forego his 2022 bonus and a salary increase in 2023, "notwithstanding the 3 percent cost of living increase that all management receives."