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Updated: 9 hours ago

Thomas College board stands with president, pledges to work with faculty

street lawn sign File photo / Courtesy of Thomas College Thomas College, a private liberal arts college based in Waterville, is led by President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi.
By Renee Cordes

As Thomas College faculty members seeking to unionize double down on demands related to workplace policies, the Waterville school's board of trustees affirmed its support for President Jeannine Diddle Uzzi and pledged to work with faculty.

"As I shared with our faculty when I met with them this summer, the board supports President Uzzi and our shared vision for the college,” Kelley Shimansky, chair of the board of trustees, said in an emailed statement. "This is a time of significant change at Thomas, with a new president, a new provost and a new strategic plan.

“New leadership brings new ideas, priorities and directions," she continued. "What remains unchanged is our respect for the role the faculty plays in the success of our students and our commitment to shared governance. We will continue to work with faculty moving forward to strengthen Thomas and fulfill our mission of preparing students for personal and professional success and for leadership and service in their communities." 

The college also disputed statements by Jono Anzalone, an assistant professor of economics currently on paid administrative leave at the private liberal arts college and one of the union’s organizing committee members, about declining enrollment and what he said was a unanimous faculty vote of no confidence in Uzzi over the summer.

In an emailed rebuttal, Thomas College noted that the incoming fall 2025 class was 30% larger than fall 2024 and that overall enrollment has also increased. 

The college also said it had consulted faculty leadership on the creation of the fall 2025 schedule amid efforts to decrease online and hybrid offerings since the pandemic.

The college said its board of trustees "is aware" that a summer faculty meeting included a no-confidence vote.

"Attendance at that meeting and final vote count remain unclear, but not all faculty participated," the college continued, noting that as a result of the vote, the board chair met on campus with any interested faculty to understand their concerns and shared feedback with both the board and the school's president.

"The trustees and college administration continue to value the faculty and the critical role they play in educating and supporting our students," the college said in its email.

Thomas College also reiterated that the vote to unionize has not yet been certified by the National Labor Relations Board.

In response on Monday, Anzalone said the full faculty wasn't consulted on the reduction in online and hybrid offerings, saying it "was presented as a directive rather than as part of a consultation process with faculty."

He also shared minutes from a July 28 meeting, noting that it was attended by 21 of 39 full-time faculty members and that a no-confidence motion passed by a vote of 18-0.

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