TO: The Board of Directors, Coalition for the Common Good (CCG)
CC: Dr. John Comerford, President; Daniel Gifford, Chair; Charlene Moore Hayes, Vice
Chair; Coalition for the Common Good
FROM: The Faculty Senate, Antioch University
DATE: August 27, 2026
SUBJECT: Letter of Support of Antioch University (AU) Administration and Institutional Stability
Introduction
The Faculty Senate of Antioch University, recognized and enshrined as an essential shared governance body under the foundational bylaws and policies of the Coalition for the Common Good (including Policy 2.101), writes to formally express support of the Antioch Advisory Board and the Antioch Administration under the leadership of President Dr. Lori Varlotta. As representatives of the faculty who shoulder the daily responsibility of delivering our academic mission, we are deeply invested in structural integrity through shared governance, with students always at the center. We are writing to maintain our identity, restore stability for important decision-making this year, and allow sufficient time to make progress toward the visionary goals our administrative leaders were charged with.
Core Rationale for Senate Support
- Conclusion of the Formal Mediation Period: Following the June meetings, we understand the formal mediation period and its implied Standstill agreement will close in September. The conclusion of mediation must not serve as a catalyst for abrupt structural action by the respective Boards.
- Student Enrollment and Fiscal Health: Fall enrollment is imminent. Destabilizing actions taken by the CCG will become public and compromise student confidence. Enrollment and program applications could easily be negatively impacted as a result, immediately harming the fiscal bottom lines of both Antioch and the CCG. Furthermore, drawing faculty into this fray reduces instructional and mentoring bandwidth, causing students to suffer.
- Continuity During CBA Negotiations: Concluding an equitable Collective Bargaining Agreement requires a stable administrative counterpart. Upending and exhausting executive leadership mid-negotiation actively harms the faculty and derails vital labor progress. This has a demonstrative effect upon the faculty’s ability to best ensure the highest levels of academic quality, effective shared governance within the institution, and maximized student success.
- HLC Accreditation Integrity: In the context of our current licensures and recent reaccreditation, institutional stability is critical. Unilateral leadership changes risk triggering an unscheduled Higher Learning Commission and/or licensing body inquiries and threaten their confidence in our governance.
- Executive Structure and Bylaw Compliance: The foundational bylaws and CCG Policy 2.101 designate a peer-level governance model where partner institution executives maintain an equitable relationship. The spirit of the bylaw conveys that the two institutions would mirror each other rather than differ in their hierarchy and authority.
Conclusion
Antioch University requires capable leadership stability in order to both carry out our mission and continue refining how we work together, so the Coalition can be as effective as we all want it to be. The Faculty Senate makes this request of the CCG’s Board of Directors, but most specifically calls upon the members of the Antioch Standing Committee on the CCG Board to exercise their independent authority under the bylaws and protect the continuity of the current Antioch administration for the reasons stated herein.
Respectfully submitted,
The Faculty Senate
Antioch University