A group of state lawmakers penned a letter to the University of Toledo Board of Trustees Wednesday urging the governing body to be transparent and weigh public input during its search for the school’s next president.
The letter, written by State Senator Teresa Fedor (D., Toledo), and State Reps. Paula Hicks Hudson (D., Toledo), Lisa Sobecki (D., Toledo), and Mike Sheehy (D., Oregon), asks the board to “reestablish public trust,” through a transparent process, and specifically expresses concerns about how university officials have handled recent developments surrounding the University of Toledo Medical Center — the former Medical College of Ohio Hospital.
For much of this winter and spring, a newly formed community group pressed UT administrators about what the group characterized as the pending sale or shutdown of the hospital. College leaders remained largely tight-lipped about what was going on with UTMC, saying at one point in February that all options were on the table for the hospital.
Meanwhile UT board members over the last five months met in closed-door executive sessions several times, declining to say whether those meetings had to do with UTMC. Then in mid-April, the university announced it was exploring options to sell or lease UTMC.
“The board and the university have been under public scrutiny because of work being done behind closed doors in regard to the University of Toledo Medical Center,” the letter said.
The letter from lawmakers comes one day after UT President Sharon Gaber announced she was resigning her position to take a job as chancellor at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte.
UT board president Mary Ellen Pisanelli said Tuesday board members will soon meet to discuss the next steps in hiring Ms. Gaber’s successor, but that a date for the meeting has not yet been set.
“The next leader of the university must understand the value [UTMC] adds to the community and the importance of its responsibility for citizens,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter. “The best candidate should have experience in an urban university setting that can partner with the community to develop the most resources for the Toledo area. Having an understanding of urban issues is critical.”
The state lawmakers also advised the board to establish a citizen advisory committee to seek public input as the university battles through financial struggle at UTMC. In announcing the search for a new entity to purchase, lease, or manage UTMC, UT officials revealed the hospital had lost about $14.8 million through February of the fiscal year.
Members of the Save UTMC Citizens group, which has gained support from Ms. Fedor and Ms. Hicks-Hudson, have slammed the board for a lack of transparency, insisting that because UTMC is one of only two state-owned medical centers in Ohio, community members deserve a seat at the table regarding its future.
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) also wrote a letter to Ms. Gaber earlier this month, asking for a sale of the medical center to be halted during the coronavirus pandemic.
The group has also called on Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to stop a potential sale of UTMC, an issue Ohio Department of Higher Education Chancellor Randy Gardner has said he’s looking into.
In a prepared statement, Ms. Sobecki said: “The next president should pledge to keep ownership of UTMC, and work with community partners, especially our labor unions to continue to improve the University of Toledo.”
Senator Fedor added: “The community and the Save UTMC Coalition looks forward to being involved in this very important process for the future of Toledo and the region.”
A UT spokesman told The Blade Wednesday that officials are looking into the contents of the lawmakers’ letter.
The full letter can be read here.
First Published April 29, 2020, 6:54 p.m.
