2008 Woodie Awards
Phizacklea Fired for Lack of Snow Days
Elizabeth Fields
Issue date: 4/1/04 Section: The Absolute Truth
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Michael Curry, Vice President and Academic Dean, announced this morning that the contract of Tom Phizacklea, Vice President for Finance, will not be renewed for the Fall semester. Phizacklea, who came to Goucher four years ago from Centenary College in Louisiana, has accepted a position at Towson University for the 2004-05 school year.
"It is with great regret that we make this announcement," Curry said. "Tom Phizacklea is well-liked by students, faculty, and his colleagues. We wish him nothing but the best."
Curry declined to comment on the circumstances leading to Phizacklea's dismissal, but reports issued by the Office of the Academic Dean indicate that several complaints and questions had been lodged about Phizacklea's performance, including his discretion in announcing snow days this year.
"I feel that snow days are very important," states Kathy Henneberger, Associate Professor of Economics and Management. "I count on snow days to spend time at home, read a book, put my feet up. Tom Phizacklea's refusal to call snow days this year has made me question whether the administration really thinks about the well-being of professors."
Henneberger says that she lodged a formal complaint against Phizacklea in February, but she heard nothing of it until the campus-wide announcement this morning.
President Sanford J. Ungar was also hesitant to comment.
"I will say this, there have been some questions regarding Tom's performance," Ungar said. "But I want to stress that this is a private matter between Tom Phizacklea and the administration."
Students reacted today to the news that the well-known, amiable Vice President for Finance would no longer be leaving them calm, cheerful messages on their voice mail.
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