Salus optometry faculty oppose the loss of their dean amid the university’s merger with Drexel

The leadership of Salus University is removing the dean of its Pennsylvania College of Optometry as the university continues to implement a merger with Drexel University, faculty said Friday.

The leadership change was expected to take effect Friday, and faculty in the optometry college have approved a vote of no confidence in Michael Mittelman, president of the small, private health sciences university based in Elkins Park, and Provost Gerard O’Sullivan. Faculty sent the results of the vote along with remarks to both the chair of the Drexel board and interim President Denis O’Brien.

“Dr. Mittelman’s decision to remove Dr. Melissa Trego, the current dean, who has been an outstanding leader for the past eight years, has created widespread concern and discontent among faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” faculty wrote in a letter, noting that 55 of 62 eligible faculty voted in favor of the no-confidence measure. “Dr. Trego’s leadership has been pivotal in advancing the college’s academic programs, supporting PCO students and faculty, and ensuring the fiscal stability of the college.”

» READ MORE: Drexel University’s merger with Salus gets approval as President John Fry prepares for a likely exit

No-confidence measures are largely symbolic and carry no authority but send a strong signal of the faculty’s discontent.

More than 360 students also approved a no-confidence vote in Salus leaders, they wrote in a letter to Drexel leadership and shared with the Inquirer. Students put up signs in support of Trego and many wore white, a departure from their gray scrubs. They also put hearts on Trego’s door with messages of support; one says “Dr. Trego is PCO.”

Trego, who was offered the opportunity to remain on the faculty, declined to comment.

Salus in a statement said Trego “stepped down.”

“This change reflects Salus’ continued commitment to improving the academic performance of the optometry program, and it follows multiple years of declining National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) scores,” Salus said in a statement. “We can and we must do better to prepare our students for success in the classroom and beyond, and for this reason, the leadership change at PCO is the correct course for our future.”

An interim dean is expected to be appointed in the coming days, the university said.

Drexel said in a statement that although its merger agreement was approved by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Salus’ academic operations will continue to be run independently until the U.S. Department of Education gives its approval, which is likely next summer.

“As such, any decisions made regarding academic operations at Salus are handled by the Salus administration,” Drexel said. “Drexel looks forward to the final merger at which time in accordance with accreditation requirements, the College of Optometry will remain a stand-alone college.”

Faculty said Trego was told the Salus administration was concerned that students’ first-time pass rates on part one of the exam had fallen below the national average over the past few years. But they say it’s unfair to blame the dean and assert that the school has continued to meet accreditation standards that require that 80% of students pass all three parts within six years of matriculation.

“I’ve witnessed things that I do think have contributed to low board scores,” said Maria Armandi, an assistant professor of optometry, citing a decrease in the applicant pool, more competition for students and a decline in the national average of scores. “Our dean is not one of them.”

Armandi said the dean has implemented changes, including concentrated review courses, a practice exam and external test preparation courses.

» READ MORE: Drexel and Salus Universities have decided to proceed with a merger

“It is without hesitation that I have put my support behind her because of the type of leader she is, because of the type of person she is, because of the type of optometrist she is, and because of the type of educator she is,” Armandi said. “She is an example for all of us.”

The board exam is made up of three parts: Part one covers the basic sciences, while the second is focused on case scenarios, and the third on the practical exam, she said.

Armandi said faculty already are on edge with the implementation of the merger with Drexel.

“Dr. Trego was really trying to make her best effort to help us through the challenging part of this transition and creating a sense of opportunity and positivity about what our future will be like at Drexel,” she said.

» READ MORE: Drexel University is consolidating schools and asking several deans to step down

Earlier this week, Drexel asked several deans to step down as part of a consolidation of two colleges and one of its schools into a new entity. The move is coming amid a budget crunch at Drexel and as the West Philadelphia university prepares to move from a quarter system to a semester system, which is part of a larger academic restructuring.

But the dean change at Salus does not appear to be budget related, faculty said.

Optometry is one of three colleges at Salus and is the foundation of its history. Founded in 1919 as the Pennsylvania State College of Optometry, it is one of the oldest optometry schools in the United States. It became part of the newly created Salus University in 2008.

Faculty also are concerned about the potential impact the dean change will have on the school’s optometry reaccreditation process next year. All schools must undergo accreditation reviews regularly.

Stephanie Holt, an assistant professor of optometry, said she has known Trego since 2000 when they both enrolled as students at the optometry school and graduated together in 2004. Trego has been on the faculty of the school since 2006 and also has had a national leadership role, recently serving as president of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry.

“She’s created a community and family with our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni and I think that’s why there’s such a show of support,” Holt said. “She truly has an open-door policy. She listens to people.”