In fact, the regents said, the board was told they were working for free. Adelphi's ousted trustees complained that the regents' intervention posed a threat to the independence of all colleges and universities and discouraged people from serving as trustees. They also said the entire investigation was part of an effort by the faculty union to gain power. Through negative publicity, based on lies, distortion and disinformation, they were able to pressure the Board of Regents to hold public hearings, and then to conduct those hearings in an atmosphere utterly indifferent to both due process and basic fairness. The broader implications of Adelphi's case may be to underscore the cautions that nonprofit organizations should exercise in the oversight of their boards and executives.
Executive compensation is a potentially explosive issue.
And board members should be informed, engaged and not afraid to ask tough questions. During his 12 years as president, Diamandopoulos' supporters have praised him as a visionary who has transformed the commuter school's academic standards with a new core curriculum and a small honors college. But Diamandopoulos' critics said they were moved to act because, in their view, his tenure had been ruinous to Adelphi, where enrollment has dropped about 40 percent since his arrival. Its tuition fees now rank second highest on Long Island, average class size has ballooned, admissions are less selective and Adelphi's rankings in Barron's and other college guides has fallen over the years. They must therefore be removed from office.