Tech Professor Disappointed In Oldham’s New Contract

Tennessee Tech Professor Dr. Josie McQuail said she hopes Dr. Phillip Oldham will listen to faculty concerns about TTU’s future.

Oldham agreed to a five-year extension Thursday. McQuail said Oldham and the university’s governing board need to listen more closely to faculty.

“They seem to forget that we are the experts in the classrooms and have studied long and hard to obtain our degrees,” McQuail said. “We are willing to work with the board and with President Oldham to make TTU an excellent university. One of the things we are really afraid of in recent months is the reputation of the university.”

The concerns of faculty members came to light during last week’s Board of Trustees meeting. The recent research inquiry combined with budget cutbacks have worried many on campus.

“I’ve been here almost 30 years and I’ve worked very hard on my own research,” McQuail said. “We just want to make sure that TTU is an outstanding university and keeps the great reputation it has worked hard to acquire all these 100 years.”