In a recent turn of events, Dawn McLin, Jackson State University’s Faculty Senate President Faculty Senate President, was placed on leave last week amid allegations of misusing her position, with her termination now under review. On Thursday night, faculty members gathered to explore ways to offer her support.

In a recent report from Mississippi Today, the psychology professor with a strong family connection to Jackson State was elected Faculty Senate president by the institution in 2020. Her term in office has been recognized by the ongoing tension between faculty and administration, including several no-confidence votes against current and former administrators over issues of respect for shared governance and professional standards.

Faculty aren’t aware of the specific and unusual circumstances surrounding the president’s leave, given her time in office, which ensure specific employment protections under university policies and the Institution of Higher Learning Board of Trustees.

Reports did indicate that she was placed on leave without prior written warning and is facing accusations of harassment, malfeasance, and a “continuous pattern of failing to respect,” a term indicating insubordination from the IHL policies.

The American Association of University Professors (AAUP), a professional organization that advocates for tenure, shared governance, and academic freedom, highlights that such treatment among the faculty senate presidents is rare, only occurring once or twice every few years.

Anita Levy, a program officer for the American Association of University stated in an email that, “such actions are generally taken in retaliation for criticisms of the administration the faculty members may have offered in the performance of their faculty leadership duties.”

Despite McLin’s pending hearing in front of the faculty panel, faculty members express their fears that Jackson State president, Marcus Thompson, might terminate her regardless of the panel’s recommendation of reinstatement.

McLin did not provide a comment for this story and was not on the Zoom call to speak for herself because she had been “removed from the university altogether,” according to a member of the faculty senate executive committee, who informed approximately 90 participants.

Adding on to the current issue, during the call which was originally meant to help faculty get ready for the upcoming semester, saw an unexpected visit from Thompson’s representatives, Onetta Whitley and Van Gillespie. Their presence was unusual since no one from the president’s office had attended faculty senate meetings for months.

“We know the faculty senate has recently undergone some changes and that may explain why we did not receive such an invitation,”  Whitley said.

During the meeting, she didn’t address McLin’s leave but instead focused on wanting better relations between the administration and the faculty senate. “We hope to be in a position to foster, really, a better working relationship than in 2024, a more collaborative, collegial relationship than what I understand has existed between the administration and the faculty senate in the past.”

McLin who has been with JSU since 2001, and has deep roots with the institution since the 1920s, including her mother who previously served as a faculty senate president had become a significant figure in securing a $1.5 million grant for researching the impacts of climate change and racism on underserved communities. Her potential departure raises concerns about the future of this critical research initiative.

“Like many HBCUs, JSU has a history of addressing inequities and advocating for social justice. Our faculty, staff, and students have actively advocated for equal rights, racial justice, and systemic change at local and international levels,” she stated in a press release.

Faculty members expressed unity with McLin, emphasizing that her advocacy for the faculty was a reflection of the collective concerns. The broader question now is whether the administration’s action aligns with the best interest of the university community, including students and faculty alike. As one faculty member put it,” does not belong to one person or two persons,” they added. “It belongs to all of us.”

The situation at JSU highlights a critical time for the university as it deals with problems related to governance, tenure, and faculty rights. The result of McLin’s hearing and what the administration decides to do next will more than likely have a big impact on the future of faculty-administration relations at Jackson State University.