AUGUSTA, Maine — The head of Maine's public university system said he was aware that a newly hired university president was asked to resign from a previous job.
Michael Laliberte was hired to serve as president of University of Maine at Augusta. He stepped down as president of State University of New York at Delhi in April after students and faculty took votes of no confidence in his leadership.
The concerns included criticism of the way Laliberte managed budgets, as well a perceived lack of transparency, the Kennebec Journal reported.
UMaine System Chancellor Dannel Malloy said Friday he was alerted to the no-confidence votes by the managing director of a firm that facilitated the search. He said he regretted that the search committee wasn't informed, “and I’m sorry that I didn’t specifically ask for that to occur.”
A faculty senate’s vote of no confidence in a sitting president is a serious matter but the claims were investigated and found to be without merit, Malloy said in a statement.
Laliberte is on tap to start his new job in Augusta in August.
