HARRISBURG (TNS) — The faculty and trustees at Commonwealth University are at loggerheads over the leadership of President Bashar Hanna as nearly 90% of faculty and coaches approved a no-confidence vote in him, while the council of trustees expressed their “unwavering” support for the school’s founding president.
According to the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF), 88.65% of members polled voted no-confidence in Hanna, who has come under fire by the union in recent months.
First, in 2024, a jury awarded a former Bloomsburg University professor $3.9 million after finding that he was fired in retaliation for helping an administrative assistant file a sexual harassment complaint against Hanna in 2017.
That prompted APSCUF President Kenneth Mash to call for Hanna’s termination.
Last month, Commonwealth University, which was formed in 2022 by the merger of Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities, announced that its Clearfield County campus would close at the end of the 2026-27 school year, igniting more criticism from the union.
“My colleagues did not want to take this stance, but all other communication has apparently not been effective,” Mash said in a statement from the union following the no confidence vote.
“The bottom line is that (Hanna’s) lack of leadership and behavior has affected students,” said Mash. “Students see the consequences on the university, and student journalists have called for him to go. Our students, faculty, coaches, staff, and entire university community deserve better.”
Lock Haven associate professor David Russell told WPSU.org that Hanna is “an absolute PR disaster for the university … and he has not been a good leader in the process of consolidation.”
While the union called for university trustees to vote on Hanna at their March 7 meeting, Council of Trustees Chair John Wetzel released a statement saying he and his colleagues “overwhelmingly” support Hanna.
“We believe that Dr. Hanna remains the right leader to guide Commonwealth University forward through these challenges, and our stance is unwavering,” said Wetzel, a former Pennsylvania secretary of corrections. “We are making great strides for our students, and to maintain that progress, we need strong partners at the State System and with our faculty, staff, and coaches. We will continue to work with all stakeholders to achieve our shared goals – the biggest being student achievement.”
Wetzel said Hanna’s leadership during the merger “has been vital” and said council is “grateful” for the work done by faculty and staff.
In that same statement, Hanna described the union vote “as both an important expression of [faculty] frustrations and, more importantly, as a reflection of their commitment to our students and their success.”
Hanna, who was president of Bloomsburg University before becoming the first president of the new Commonwealth University in 2022, said he is “fully committed” to the university and students and has “no intention of stepping away from the difficult but essential work ahead.”
In his statement, Hanna also noted that full-time and graduate enrollment have increased since the merger, a student advisory council has been created, a new governance model with faculty has been established and fundraising is at a record high with $30.68 million in new gifts and pledges in 2023-24.
