Chancellor James Oblinger’s public call for Mary Easley’s resignation Monday could leave the former first lady’s position vacant, Undergraduate Academic Program Interim Dean John Ambrose said.
Ambrose said budget constraints would likely result in Easley’s position remaining vacant if the executive in residence stepped down.
“With the budget situation right now it is very difficult to fill a position unless it’s directly related to teaching,” Ambrose said.
Ambrose said because Easley’s job was mostly concerned with the development of relationships with law schools, her position likely wouldn’t be filled if she chose to resign.
“Her responsibilities were primarily looking at forging relationships with some of the law school,” Ambrose said, “She was working with Campbell U to developing a dual degree where our students might be able to complete a degree in management and go on to get a law degree.”
Ambrose said the budgetary issues aren’t helped by the bad publicity NCSU has received in recent weeks.
“The University is going through a very difficult time right now because of the budget situation and it’s very unfortunate that we’re being subjected to this kind of press,” Ambrose said.
Ambrose said the Chancellor’s urging of Easley to resign was for similar reasons that Provost Larry Nielsen resigned last Thursday.
“It may very well be for the best for her to step down at this time,” Ambrose said. “I’m not passing a judgment on what she does or what she doesn’t do or the appropriateness of her appointment but if the provost was going to step down because of the concern that was coming from the outside then I think this is a logical follow-up.”
Ambrose said Easley’s resignation could affect NCSU’s progress toward the dual-degree program with Campbell University.
“[Her resignation] would probably have some consequences in the development of the dual degree program,” Ambrose said. “If Mary Easley were to step down that would probably have some effect on at least the timing of that development if not the development in total.”
A WRAL video interview with Easley revealed her project with the Center of Public Safety was a five year project, and that the University granted her a new contract when she accepted the added responsibilities. The University’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Barbara Carroll said all communication regarding Easley’s contract would need to come from the University’s news services, but said she did not have information on the contract.
“I don’t have that information,” Carrol said.
Director of News and Communications Keith Nichols could not be reached Monday. The news services office repeatedly did not answer phone calls Monday afternoon.
