It’s called the Forward-Focused Digital Transformation Initiative. Old Dominion University announced it last fall — and it’s caused tension between faculty members and university leadership ever since.
The plan includes increasing technology in classrooms, using AI and preparing students for a job market defined by fast-paced change. More controversial among faculty members, it proposes shortening online classes to eight weeks from the standard semester-long 16 weeks.
It also proposes changing all online classes to an asynchronous format — meaning students will access recorded materials on their own time, rather than attending classes together at a set time — starting fall 2026.
These changes are too big, too soon, faculty members say.
More than three-quarters of faculty senate members voted “no confidence” in how university leadership — including President Brian Hemphill, Provost Brian Payne and Vice President Nina Rodriguez Gonser — is rolling out the plan.
Both Hemphill and the Board of Visitors published responses to the vote on March 10, the same day as the vote. The Board doubled down on its support of Hemphill and his vision of the digital transformation initiative.
“The vote taken today represents one viewpoint within the broader University community, but it does not override the responsibility entrusted to the Board of Visitors and the administration to ensure the long-term competitiveness, strength, and sustainability of this institution,” the Board wrote.
Dennis Gregory, an associate professor of higher education and member of the executive committee of the Faculty Senate, said the faculty don’t oppose the initiative itself.
Rather, faculty members are frustrated that the plan was implemented without their input and that the changes to online classes will apply across all subjects by the fall semester, he said.
While some subjects may adapt smoothly to the new accelerated, asynchronous format, other subjects may not – including math.
“The failure rate for many of the math courses taught to undergraduates is approximately 50%, and there's a great deal of concern that moving math classes to an eight week format, and particularly to an asynchronous format, will create a higher failure rate than what is there already,” Gregory said.
Faculty Senate Chair Corrin Allen said the senate has tried for months to slow down the rollout and get the administration to listen to faculty concerns.
But the administration is committed to the original timeline, said Allen, who’s also an associate professor at the School of Speech-Language Pathology.
A week before the vote took place, three faculty senate leaders met with President Hemphill to propose plans that addressed these concerns to no avail, Gregory said.
“It's just unfortunate that we've reached such a level of breakdown in ability to work together that it came to this,” Allen said.
Hemphill’s written response noted increases in application and admissions in online programs. These, he wrote, are “early indicators” that the new approach is reaching students.
He attributed the vote of no confidence to growing pains.
“Transformational change is never simple,” he wrote. “Meaningful progress often invites robust debate, strong opinions, and difficult conversations. That is part of the process of institutional evolution. What matters most is that we remain focused on the mission that unites us by expanding opportunity, advancing knowledge, and preparing students for success in a rapidly changing world.”
Allen said she hoped the vote would be a turning point.
“We seem to be operating off of very different definitions of shared governance, and it's a hope that we come together and towards more shared decision making, rather than a very top-down model,” she said.
Shared governance, Gregory said, means that the administration, faculty and Board of Visitors talk and work together, leaning on each other’s expertise.
“The faculty has the expertise on curriculum," he said. “The faculty are those who are experts in pedagogy. They are the ones that know how best to teach their content area.”
When it came to the question of shared governance, the Board pulled rank.
“Shared governance remains an important principle within higher education, and faculty perspectives are valued and respected,” it wrote. “However, shared governance does not mean that every institutional decision will produce universal agreement. Ultimately, the Board of Visitors and University leadership are charged under Virginia law with making the decisions necessary to secure the long-term future of this institution.”
Gregory said the Board also has a responsibility to learn about potential issues.
“And to the best of my knowledge, no member, group or leader within the Board of Visitors has ever talked to faculty about their concerns,” he said. “So it seems inappropriate for the Board of Visitors to make decisions without finding out if there's a problem that they're not aware of.”
