Hello everyone,

The Board of Trustees for Salem Academy and College delivered a statement that was emailed to many alums today. Unfortunately, many alums (even those who have verified that Salem College has their current email address on file) report not receiving this email statement, so I have made it available at the end of this response.

To the Board of Trustees of Salem Academy and College:

There are many ways I could describe your formal response to the mountains of concerns that have been pouring into your inboxes since May 9th regarding the perceived unethical behavior of President Summer McGee, but the word I will choose in this moment is “disappointing.”

It is disappointing that the Board of Trustees seems disinterested in fully addressing the concerns that have be brought forth. Despite being aware of this petition since it was launched on May 12th and being sent a formal list of signatures reaching nearly 400 at the time on May 19th, the Board of Trustees has refused to publicly acknowledge the concerns listed in this petition.

It is disappointing that out of the five bullet points of information that the Board shared of their quarterly meeting, only one of them has anything to do with the very public concerns that the Salem community has brought regarding the ethics of President Summer McGee. Though arguably none of the information the Board of Trustees shared actually addresses the concerns in this petition. The Board assures us that a consultant is going to, “conduct a review of [Salem’s] policies and practices,” yet the issues raised are not with the polices of the school but instead the implementation or lack of implementation of those polices by President McGee. For example, was the hiring of President McGee’s husband Dr. Glenn McGee to the Dean of Admissions position – despite his lack of direct admissions experience – an unethical navigation of Salem’s pre-existing nepotism policy?

It is disappointing that the Board of Trustees has purposefully chosen to use language that publicly shields President McGee from responsibility. Why are concerns about Dr. Summer McGee’s ethics being recast as an uneasiness with transformation? You make a point to highlight the, “first increase in the incoming first-year class size in three years,” but don’t acknowledge that two of those admissions cycles were devastated by the unforeseen complications of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as Salem’s process of recovering from serious financial concerns. Is this accomplishment actually that notable in the context of the past three years, or is it an indirect way to praise the work of a disputed Dean of Admissions who is largely benefiting from the increase in applications and admissions seen across higher education this year?

It is disappointing that the Board of Trustees has chosen to see the work of this petition and those who organize adjacent to it as unreasonable and hostile despite the deliberate choice to make this petition’s ask one of solidarity and community. This petition does not call for the firing of President McGee but rather an honest evaluation of her behavior by the staff and faculty of the school. Why should we trust that an outside consultant charging thousands of dollars would be more familiar with the ramifications of President McGee’s leadership than those who have been working and teaching under her for the past academic year?

It is disappointing that some very serious questions by this community have not been answered. Did President McGee lie when she said at the May 12th Town Hall that Dr. Prosterman was not escorted off campus despite eyewitness accounts that that he indeed was escorted off campus? Have any employee positions been eliminated or restructured in retaliation of employees who speak out about the toxic work environment of Salem College? What were the qualifications of those who were passed over for the Dean of Admissions position in favor of Dr. Glenn McGee? What do the staff and faculty of Salem College have to say about the performance and behavior thus far of President McGee?

It is disappointing that the Board of Trustees did not involve the public facing organizers of this petition into meaningful conversation, but there has somehow been the time to have Salem College’s public relations firm scour the LinkedIn profile of this petition’s writer.

It is disappointing that the actions of the Board of Trustees show a greater interest in strategic communication over honest communication.

The choice to obfuscate the concerns of alums and other Salem community members will not be tolerated. Our concerns are not about policy or procedure; our concerns are about the behavior and leadership of President Summer McGee. While others have proposed in-person protests on Salem’s campus or involving the media, this petition has been an honest and thoughtful attempt to publicly bring these concerns to the Board of Trustees so as to get a public response to these issues. Certainly, there have been concerns about the negative impact this petition could have on Salem College, but the alternatives are far worse. How will public demonstrations on campus appear to the larger community and effect prospective students? Will alums feel confident in the leadership of their alma mater and continue to give money to the institution if they feel the Board of Trustees has largely ignored their concerns? Can Salem college withstand the next few years if students, staff, and faculty do not have confidence in her leadership?

You ignoring us will not make us quieter or more conciliatory because we are fighting for the soul of an institution that we love and care about deeply.

And we are not done fighting.

The message from the Board of Trustees:

May 26, 2022

Dear Salem Community,

As the 2021-2022 academic year comes to a close, we are pleased to share an update from the Board of Trustees of Salem Academy and College.

Over the past year, Salem has taken concrete steps to build toward a bright future, anchored in Health Leadership at the College and STEAM at the Academy. We launched new majors, instituted a range of other curricular and co-curricular enhancements, and outlined a new vision for Salem’s future, all while striving to remain true to the core values and principles that have always been at the heart of Salem.

We understand that this period of transformation requires a greater degree of communication and transparency than ever before. Over the past year, we have seen unprecedented alumnae and community engagement surrounding the celebration of Salem’s 250th anniversary, and the Board of Trustees is committed to maintaining the entire community’s engagement as we meet the exciting opportunities before us. Moving forward, we are taking additional steps to maintain open channels of communication to ensure that the greater Salem community remains closely apprised of new developments.

Going forward, the Board of Trustees will begin sharing highlights of the topics discussed after each of our quarterly Board meetings, starting with our meeting last week.

Key highlights from our regular May meeting included the following:

• To ensure that our current policies and practices are fully in keeping both with our own values and principles and with best practices at higher education institutions, the Board will engage an experienced outside higher education consultant to conduct a review of our policies and practices. The results of this review, which will take place over the summer, will enable us to effectively address a variety of matters that have arisen over the past several weeks, while also helping us improve how Salem operates overall.
• The Board discussed Salem College’s progress on enrollment growth, including that this year Salem College received more applications than ever before in its history, and that we have the first increase in the incoming first-year class size in three years.
• The Board discussed updates for Salem Academy including its plans for its new STEAM curricular focus, a new academic schedule, and enhanced co-curricular offerings that will begin next year.
• The Board will continue to seek input on the 2022-2025 Institutional Strategic Plan presented by President McGee at this meeting. It is anticipated that the final Strategic Plan will be approved at the June 2022 Board of Trustees meeting.
• The Board also voted to approve the 2022-2023 budget and agreed to create a task force to develop a strategic plan for Campus Master Planning, which will begin later this summer.

As discussed last year, Salem’s transformation toward Health Leadership and STEAM was carefully designed to enable us to respond directly to real-world trends and opportunities. But it’s also critical to remember what isn’t changing: our commitment to community as a foundational value and our long history of preparing women to lead, of aligning our institution with an ever-changing world, and of empowering our graduates to make a meaningful positive impact on that world.

We remain excited for the work ahead, and we thank you all for your continued dedication to Salem Academy and College and your commitment to ensuring our ongoing success.

Best,

Elizabeth Denton Baird C’83
Chair
Salem Academy and College Board of Trustees