AU Terminates Campus & Student Life Administrator Position After 26 Years in Service
12 November 2024|
Stephen Yeagley, the associate vice president for Campus & Student Life at Andrews University (AU), is leaving the university after the university administration terminated his position. President John Wesley Taylor V said the position could not continue due to university-wide budget cuts.
Yeagley’s exit from Andrews University goes beyond the loss of a necessary position and a valued employee; it’s the loss of a beloved figure and a heartfelt vocation. Yeagley first attended Andrews as a Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary graduate student, later earning his doctorate of ministry degree with a concentration in youth and young adult ministries in 2015. However, he has been a full-time staff member at Andrews since 1998, making his tenure just over two decades, taking on multiple roles.
A main responsibility of Yeagley’s role was Student Orientation, a practice that he remembers fondly from his student days. Transitioning from life at home to dorm living in a higher-stress environment can be softened by community and a support system, all of which he was eager to offer in his position.
The termination of not only him but the role itself has caused some alarm. If an individual and a position as integral as Yeagley’s could be cut, then the risk of other forms of student support could be dismissed as unnecessary. Frances Faehner, the vice president for Campus & Student Life and Yeagley’s direct superior, informed him back in July that October would be his final month. An article on Andrews University’s website stated
“Initially, the Andrews administration sought to have Yeagley’s termination be in August, but Faehner successfully lobbied to have it extended to the end of October so he could effectively train and pass on his responsibilities to other staff members, as well as provide more time so that solutions to retain him could be seriously explored. Yeagley will be on paid vacation leave until Nov. 20 and will officially be off the university payroll unless he is assigned a new position at Andrews.”
The decision raised some eyebrows and left many calling the decision callous. Faehner made a statement to the university community via email on Oct. 31 regarding the termination, detailing the difficult decision and advising questions be redirected to the president or the chief financial officer, Glenn Meekma.
President John Wesley Taylor V has been reshaping the campus towards a more conservative model, leaving many staff and faculty to hope that their positions for student wellbeing will not be deemed redundant in the light of budget cuts.
