rHE UNntrRS ITYoITENN ESSEE Wfl KNOXVILLE October I 4,2013 Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs 527 Andy Holt Tower Knoxville, TN 37996-0152 865-97 4-2445 fax 865-974-4811 Re: Administrativeleavependingreviewof insubordination Dear Dr. Sousa: In your role as director of the marching band, we have talked in the past about conflict between the band administration and the Athletics Deparfment over lravel budgets for away games, song requests by athletic event coordinators, University marketing during football games, and the general feeling of some band administrators, students, and alumni that use of pre-recorded music indicates a "disrespect" fot live musicians. I4/hen you wrote to Senior Associate Athletics Director Chris Fuller (letter dated October 7,2013), Dr. Pappas continued to expresshis supportfor your position. Indeed, we have all sympathized with the challenge of blendinglive music with the various newer elements of game day proposed by other constituencies within the University. Sending a letter asserting your concerns was respectful and appropriate. Your actions thereafter were not. It appears that on the evening of October 7,2013, you met with the Pride of the Southland Alumni Marching Band Council and expressed thesarne concerns described in your letter to Mr. Fuller. Alumni were understandably interested in advocating on behalf of the band, and alumnus Dr. Bill Burkhart wrote to the Chancellor (received October 8,2013) based on your statements during the Alumni Council meeting. In his lefter, Dr. Burkhart expressed his "dismay at the recent decision by the UTAD to limit not only UT Band travel and expense allowance, but stifle itsrole in Neyland Stadium." As events unfolded, questions arose regarding the accuracy o{staternents from you and other band representatives. Dr. Burkhart e-mailed the Chancellor on the evening of October 10 to apologi ze for his earlier letter. Dr. Burkhart explained that in the Alumni Council meeting, you claimed to have presented a letter to theChancellor requesting assistance on these issues. IuVhile Dr. Burkhart shared your snbstantive concerns, he apparently did not anticipate that you intended to incite the public relations "disaster" (to use Dr. Burkhart's term) that unfolded. A copy of Dr. Burkhart's correspondence is attached. Likewise, it appears that on October 8,2013, you met with sfudent band members about the perceived "disrespect" by event coordinators during the Georgia game the preceding Saturday. The following account of that meetingwas reported by a band student in the course of soliciting support for the online petition related to this matter (a redacted copy of that e-mail is attached): tssg @ramge. Btg fioJeas" After a Tuesday evening rehearsal on October 8,20t3, the Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee, Dr. Gary Sousa, sat down with the Leadership Team for The Pride and discussed these changes in great detail. He proceeded to discuss what steps he and the other two Directors, Dr. Don Ryder and Dr. Jon Stewart [sicJ, have taken in order to spark a change in the Athletic Department's mind with respect to their intentions for the band program in the future. Nothing has yet to work. . To insure the safety of each band member as well as protert the integrity of the program and university The Pride's Handbook states the [sic] its members have a "No Response Policy" involving communication with fans or with any individuals outside of ttre program. Here were the words from Dr. Gary Sousa that explained why this policy was temporarily dropped: "Use this information that I have just shared with you however you choose. But don't be stupid. You guys pay to come to school here. You guys are the ones striving for an education. And when it comes down to it, the faculty works for you. We work for you. Dr. Stewart, Dr. Ryder, and myself work for you. lf I get fired, then so be it. But I would rather see The Pride do the right thing to uphold tradition and lget fired than The Pride hide from Athletics until my retirement. So go and do the right thing. Don't get mad; get even." This report is froubling in a number of ways, not the least of which is the suggestion that you had already made attempts to resolve this matter internally, when we see no evidence that you have attempted to build a dialogue with athletics officials. Instead, it appears that you joined (if not initiated) and encourcged a media campaign in both print and television media in which you declared your relationship with the athletics department" dead." . As director of the marching band, your job requires that you work with (or assign others to work with) athletics officials to coordinate the band's role at sporting events; that you cultivate good working relationships with officials in the University community with whom we work routinely (e.g., purchasing, facilities, and officials from the office of Student Life, to name only a few); and that you advocate effectively for the band within the extended University community' In short, your statements and actions in the past two weeks raise the question of whether you are capable of continuing to function in your role as Director of Bands. It is certainly the case that il you consider your relationship with athletics officials to be " dead," you will not be able to work with them constructively. Given the public nature of your current conflict, you will tikely find it difficult to collaborate with others who for resources and conflict between competing interests within the University are normal. In contrast, your actions to circumvent the normal methods of conflict resolution are shockingly insubordinate. We are concerned that as a result of your statements and actions, you are not in a position to be effective at leading the marching band or advocatingfor our band programs in general. Your statements and actions have been disruptive to the normal academic and administrative functioning of the band and the School of Music; have damaged relationships with University officials, including campus adrninistrators; and have embarrassed key marching band advocates and alumni inthe larger communify. Your statements directly to the media and your endorsement of statements made by other representatives of the band appear to contain significant inaccuracies. One must , conclude that either you do not understand key information required to perform your job (e.g., SEC rules that are publicly available and budget nurnbers readily accessible) or you have deliberately chosen to ignore the true facts in pursuit of your personal objectives. For these reasons, you are immediately relieved of all duties and obligations connected with both your faculty appointment and your position as the Director of Bands. Until further notice, you will remain on paid administrative leave, pending a complete review of your recent actions. Your faculty and administrative responsibilities will be reassigned for the remainder of the semester. IA/hile on administrative leave, you should have no contact with students for any reason, except with advance written approval from Dr. Pappas or Dr. Lee. This is not only an instruction; it is an appeal to your dedication to the students: please respect the students' need to move through this situation with as little disruption to their daily functions as possible. Until you are notified that all interviews have been completed, you should have no contact with any member of the band administration" the facully or staff of the School of Music alumni orgarizattory or anyone else to whom you have rnade statements in connection with this matter. Likewise, you should have no reason to interact with members of other departments while on leave. Finally, given that your academic and administrative responsibilities have been reassigned r f arrshould have no reason to be on campus. If you find that you need to be on campus, please obtain advance written permission throughDr. Pappas. If you have any questions about this actiort or about the instructions in this letter, please set up a meeting through Dr. Pappas. Attachments ?ro/tvl rc .Pupp?s, Director School of Music Theresa Lee, Dean College of Arts & Sciences MAna, Susan D. Martiry Provost Sr. Vice Chancellor Attachments ltt, )gl3