Robert Witt (American Academic) - University of Alabama

University of Alabama

Witt appeared on campus to considerable skepticism, given his remarks, in a closed meeting of the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, that he supported post-tenure review (PTR). Exposed by the Alabama Scholars Association, Witt responded to intense negative publicity by withdrawing his support for the change—a change he had tacitly supported during his tenure as president of the University of Texas-Arlington. Texas adopted PTR during this time, despite opposition from a variety of academic groups, including the American Association of University Professors.

In 2003, Witt responded to criticism that his administration encouraged grade inflation on campus by shutting down access the records of the Office of Institutional Research, which until that year had made grade distribution data freely available. The Alabama Scholars Organization, and its newspaper, the "Alabama Observer," had been instrumental in exposing the problem and recommending that the Witt administration adopt public accountability mesures.

Witt responded by taking steps to censor independent faculty publications on the campus of the University of Alabama, including "Alabama Academe," the newspaper of the Alabama chapter of the AAUP. The Academe had been distributed on campus for more than thirty years. The "Alabama Observer," the publication of the Alabama Scholars Association, was also banned, and strict rules adopted to insure that criticism of the Witt administration would not reach the public.

At the University of Alabama, Witt has pursued the following goals, among others:

• Increase enrollment by approximately 40 percent to 28,000 by the year 2013
• Raising faculty and staff salaries
• Increasing financial aid to students
• Upgrading and expanding facilities

During his tenure as president, Witt increased both enrollment and the quality of students. Witt fostered unprecedented growth to the University of Alabama campus during his years.