Holcomb responds to Secret Ballot article, 4/3

Dear Editor:

Kelsey Ryan's article "Secret Ballot May Have Broken State Law" is misleading about the nature of my comment, and I request the Bulletin clarify this point. By leaving out the fact that Ryan contacted me asking how I "feel about the possibility that the secret vote . . . could be [a violation of] the Kansas Open Meetings Act and thereby illegal," the article gives the impression that I contacted the Bulletin to make a statement. I urge it be made clear that I didn't contact the Bulletin but was contacted, and my response to both the initial and follow-up e-mail messages was that I didn't believe a violation had taken place. My second message said that I was satisfied President Foyle handled the meeting correctly, a comment that did not appear in the article. I reiterate that whether someone believes that the Faculty Senate's use of a secret ballot procedure in this case was some kind of violation, President Foyle acted in my view responsibly. My understanding is that President Foyle was being mindful of the limited amount of time Senate had during a meeting that was compelled to entertain much discussion of a complex issue. I sympathize with those who are critical of the new General Education requirements, but don't believe that making an accusation of this kind is an appropriate course to take. Finally, the article is not clear about who is making the accusation that the secret vote could be construed as a violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act and therefore illegal. I'm sure that the Bulletin will generate a follow-up article, and request that the author(s) identify the source of this accusation.

Gary Holcomb, Faculty Senator and Associate Professor of English