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Faculty votes in favor of no confidence in MSU trustees, staff and students react

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A member of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees is sounding off on a no confidence vote handed down Tuesday by the university's faculty senate.

Trustee Brian Mosallam tweeted the board failed them when it came to appointing Engler and he promises to work with them moving forward.

FOX 47's Cryss Walker was there for the vote.

Tuesday night the room was filled to capacity with MSU faculty and students.

The occasion, a no confidence motion against the Board of Trustees.

The result, an overwhelming majority of senate faculty members say they no longer have confidence in the board.

Laura McCabe is on the steering committee.

She says the reaction to the vote shows there's a real need by the faculty to be heard.

“They want to be a part of the decision making”, said McCabe.

Faculty senate members voted Tuesday night 61-to-4 and although that motion was simple, no confidence in the Board of Trustees, the reasons behind the vote were mixed.

Senate Faculty member Deborah Moriarqi says they met with the board of trustees and made some suggestions.

“They immediately went and hired someone”, said Moriarqi.

That someone is former Governor John Engler, MSU's new interim president.

One professor says while he is not happy with the current board, his issue is not with Engler's appointment.

“I think that John Engler is gonna do a good job”, said Robert Ofoli.

Despite the motion passing by 94%, some say a new board will not solve MSU's problems, it will only pass down old issues to new people.

“I don't necessarily think that change is improvement”, said MSU student Samuel Richard Klahn.

“Changing the names on the door is not going to fix necessarily a power dynamic that might be problematic at this university and it's not going to solve those deeper issues,” Klahn continued.

The senate faculty vote was a symbolic gesture.

The chair says members will meet next week to outline ways the board can regain their confidence.