Two jobs are too much

As talented as Eric Sexton may be, it’s not a good idea for him to serve both as Wichita State University’s athletic director and as vice president for student affairs. Those jobs are too complex and too important for one person.

Sexton’s appointment to the student affairs position was a surprise. WSU had begun the search for an interim replacement for outgoing vice president Wade Robinson, who learned in January his contract would not be renewed. But when student affairs staff showed up on April 21 to interview candidates, they were told that the interviews had been canceled and that WSU president John Bardo had promoted Sexton to the job.

“It was all a slap in the face,” said Deltha Colvin, associate vice president for campus life, who said she and other staff members were never asked their opinion about hiring Sexton.

Colvin and others, including retired student affairs vice president James Rhatigan, are concerned that Sexton has no professional training in student affairs, which involves many complicated legal and student safety issues.

“I don’t know what was in the president’s thinking,” Rhatigan said.

It’s highly unusual for a university of WSU’s size to have the same person oversee both athletics and student affairs. In addition to the specialized knowledge required for each position, there are potential conflicts of interest, such as a dispute involving an athlete and a nonathlete.

Robinson, the outgoing student affairs vice president, is raising concerns about one incident. He filed documents with the Kansas Board of Regents complaining that Bardo and Sexton waited four days before notifying him in April 2013 that a WSU basketball player had been accused of rape and that WSU police were investigating the incident. Under the federal Title IX law, WSU’s Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards, which Robinson oversees, is required to begin a prompt internal investigation, Robinson says. Bardo disagrees.

Bardo says there was no violation of federal law, but a national expert on Title IX questioned the delay in notifying Robinson. The Board of Regents is investigating the matter, and Robinson has sought protection under the Kansas whistleblower act.

Robinson also is critical of how Sexton handled complaints by WSU basketball players over several years regarding women’s head coach Jody Adams. Four players from this year’s team said that Sexton didn’t seem interested in their allegations of mistreatment by Adams.

Sexton said he feels badly that the players had that perception but said their complaints were taken seriously. After conducting an investigation, WSU announced Tuesday that it was retaining Adams but would be making some changes.

Sexton has enough on his plate overseeing WSU’s athletic department. Also putting him in charge of student affairs is too much.

For the editorial board, Phillip Brownlee

This story was originally published May 6, 2015 at 7:06 PM with the headline "Two jobs are too much."