Raised voices filled the Alondra Room during Tuesday’s Academic Senate meeting after members of the Fine Arts Division announced a resolution of no confidence in Constance Fitzsimons, dean of fine arts department.

The meeting began typically, with presentations on the new MyEDU web service, as well as on state educational bills, but the room quickly hushed when the agenda reached the resolution of no confidence.

Representing the Fine Arts Division, Daniel Berney, dance professor, said that tenured members of the fine arts faculty took an anonymous vote of no confidence in Constance Fitzsimons

“The vote came out with 16 votes of no confidence, four of confidence and seven abstentions,” Berney said.

Fitzsimons was accused of poor leadership, poor communication, capricious decisions and continually allowing an unsafe work environment despite requests for maintenance, according to the ballot the faculty voted on.

Fitzsimons was unavailable for comment.

Berney went on to explain that following several conferences, the consequences of the vote had been narrowed to three different possible courses of action. The first two options involved some form of mediation, with a choice between internal mediation possibly hosted by an uninvolved dean, or with a contracted mediator brought in from outside of the campus. The most dramatic choice offered though, would be to demand  Fitzsimon’s immediate resignation via letters to President Tom Fallo and the vice presidents.

“And if that seems unlikely to transpire through conversations with them (the administration), it would then be taken to the board of trustees,” Berney said.

While Fitzsimons was not present for the meeting, she had previously made it known to Berney that she was open to the idea of mediation, Berney said. Things became heated, however, as Senate member Ali Ahmadpour gave an impassioned speech decrying the behavior of  Fitzsimons.

“Dean Fitzsimons became like the Pope, excommunicating anyone who disagreed with her,” Ahmadpour said.

When given a chance to speak, Vice President of Academic Affairs Francisco Arce expressed his disappointment in the resolution, calling it an insult to Fitzsimons.

“There’s no signatures on this resolution, so we don’t know who did or didn’t write it. Where’s the objectivity?” Arce asked.

Things quickly escalated between Ahmadpour and Arce, with Ahmadpour calling Arce “the man who imposed a dictatorship on this campus” and Arce declaring his continued support for Fitzsimons.

“Connie has my and the president’s complete support for the job she’s doing, she’s a person of high integrity and I will defend her to the very end,” Arce said.