by Lisa Garza of North Texas Daily , Shea Yarborough of North Texas Daily

Despite multiple requests for an explanation, Jackson would not comment on why Bataille resigned or the reason he could not elaborate on it.

Photo by Ryan Bibb

Chancellor Lee Jackson speaks to the North Texas community about what the university is going to do in the coming months with the recent resignation of UNT President Gretchen Bataille.

Chancellor Lee Jackson danced around direct questions during Wednesday’s Faculty Senate meeting about Gretchen Bataille’s sudden resignation as university president.

The Board of Regents has not disclosed the reasons behind previous administration changes, and this is an “unusual, unscheduled transition,” he said.

Jackson did not go into specifics. He said that internal issues are not uncommon for an organization of UNT’s size.

“Our efforts to improve working relationships and communication have been under way for more than a year,” Jackson said.

The end result was the mutual decision to accept Bataille’s resignation, he said.

Despite multiple requests for an explanation, Jackson would not comment on why Bataille resigned or the reason he could not elaborate on it.

“I have said what I can and will say about Dr. Bataille’s resignation,” he said.

Under the terms of the transition agreement, Bataille was allotted up to $20,000 for legal fees. Jackson refused to comment on the reason such a large amount was needed if she had not been fired.

The Board and Bataille are disappointed but are “attempting to look towards the future,” Jackson said.

“To me, when I think of the university, the teachers and the students make up the university,” said Dustin Doelling, a music education senior. “To put it behind us would be shoving it under the rug.”

Photo by Ryan Bibb

Phil C. Diebel, who will serve as interim president, answers questions asked by members of the UNT community and the media Wednesday.

The audience reacts

Faculty members and students voiced their opinions on the Board’s refusal to disclose the circumstances surrounding Bataille’s resignation.

Shane Mecklenburger of the art faculty described his recent experience to Jackson at a national conference for art educators in Chicago.

The general reaction to Bataille’s sudden resignation among the conference’s educators was embarrassment for the university and failure on the part of the board, Mecklenburger said.

He paused before adding “and with all due respect, on the part of the chancellor.”

In response to the reaction Mecklenburger encountered at the conference, he said he has neither read nor heard an acknowledgement of the failure or embarrassment from anyone in leadership.

“Will anyone take responsibility?” Mecklenburger asked.

Jackson would not accept responsibility but said, “theoretically that it could have been done better.”

Phil Diebel, who will begin his term as interim president on March 1, said he really shouldn’t talk about it when he was first approached with the offer.

Diebel said he initially declined the offer but reconsidered under the strict agreement that his service would only be for 90 days.

“If you’re going to ask me a lot of details, I really don’t know a lot of details,” he said.

Provost Wendy Wilkins took the stage to a standing ovation, which lasted for more than a minute. Wilkins stood with microphone in hand and head bowed as the audience showed its support.

“I don’t know if that was good for UNT, but it was good for Wendy,” she said as she smiled.

Wilkins, who was hired by Bataille, was friends with the president for more than 25 years before they accepted their UNT positions.

Wilkins stated that she wished to do the best thing for the university, but she did not say if she would be staying or leaving after Bataille’s departure at the end of this month.

“I have thought of 100 different responses to the news I heard, probably at the same time you did,” she said.

Student Government Association president Dakota Carter said he believes Wilkins and the cabinet have the student’s best interests in mind and that the cabinet are going to ensure the Chancellor has the same focus.

“The best thing to do is move forward,” he said. “I don’t need to have an answer if [Bataille’s] vision is kept alive.”

Diebel said he does not plan to make any major changes during his 90-day tenure.

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