Edison college students call for President's resignation
This comes one day after faculty votes to fire Ken Walker
FORT MYERS - The outrage at Edison State College boiling over tonight as students launch a campaign to force Doctor Ken Walker to resign. They're using social media to boost their efforts to oust the embattled college president. Four in your Corner's Mike Mason was on campus today and has more on this one. Just yesterday the faculty at Edison called for Walker's resignation. Now students say they are also organizing efforts to take back their school.
Two separate groups of students at Edison, both with the same message; give President Ken Walker his walking papers. Willie Filkowski wrote a letter to Walker on behalf of students who want Walker to resign. Filkowski says, "I would like to see him step down immediately. I would like to see him forego what's left in his compensation package, I think it's egregious."
Erica Patti represents a group called ‘Students for a Better Edison’. They’ve set up a website and are seeking electronic signatures online to support their cause. Patti says, "The overall integrity and reputation of this institution is going to be in question and no one wants to see that happen."
Another group of students has become more aggressive and outspoken. Filkowski says, "It's time for a much more fiery approach." Filkowski and others have created a Facebook page called ‘Doctor Kenneth Walker has been terminated.’
Both groups have written letters to Walker, stating reasons he should resign. They include Walker’s involvement in the course swapping scandal and his recent call for the firing of Vice President of Academic Affairs, Steve Atkins. Both groups are also outraged over news that Walker's the highest paid college president in the state; raking in more $800,000 a year.
Student Claire Malecot says, “The students aren't taking it anymore, we have a stand. We want to respond and let faculty, let the school know and the community know that we support our school and we don't support Kenneth Walker."
This all comes one day after Edison's faculty approved a resolution calling for Walker's resignation. This afternoon, Walker released a statement. In part it reads: “My understanding of yesterday's faculty senate meeting is that less than half of our faculty members voted on the resolution which, as of late afternoon Friday, I have yet to receive. It is concerning to me that the claims of this resolution are being played out in the media and not being addressed to me directly."
We tried to address Walker directly but his office was locked. His secretary eventually opened the door to say, "Doctor Walker's not available."
You can read Walker's full statement on our website, ‘fox4now.com’. Meanwhile, ‘Students for a Better Edison’ plan to present their petition to Walker during the next board meeting on October 25th.




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