GREENFIELD — Dozens of members of the two unions affiliated with Greenfield Community College workers attended the board of trustees meeting on Wednesday to signal their dismay with the school’s leadership, while President Michelle Schutt conveyed her desire to ensure the college remains strong for years to come.
GCC employees with the GCC Professional Association and the local American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees chapter held signs in the audience and in the hallway until the board of trustees meeting ended at 7:41 p.m. It was the first meeting since the GCC Professional Association held its second no-confidence vote against Schutt.
Trevor Kearns, president of the GCC Professional Association, said he and his fellow members were present “to impress upon the board how we reject the leadership of this [college] president.”
Corey Ames, who heads the local AFSCME chapter, argued the school’s “top-heavy” model is unsustainable.
“Something needs to change,” Ames said as the trustees held an executive session.
The college has six vice president roles and 52 non-unit professional positions. With a student enrollment of 1,770 as of the fall 2025 semester, Kearns previously said the college has a rate of just under 30 administrators per 1,000 students. For comparison, Holyoke Community College, which has 4,583 students and 113 administrators in total, has a rate of 24.7 administrators per 1,000 students.
In the final agenda item at the board of trustees meeting, Kearns read a prepared statement in which he emphasized his union’s second no-confidence vote since Schutt became president of GCC in July 2022.
“The results of this vote were decisive: 86 ballots were cast, and 89.5% voted no confidence. Of eligible voters, dues-paying members, 70% participated in this vote,” Kearns said. “That is a higher participation rate than in the first vote of no confidence taken in June 2024.”
He reported that the no-confidence statement included language accusing Schutt of mismanaging the college’s financial resources by creating a top-heavy administrative structure and expending funds on consultants with no clear benefit, resulting in a significant deficit during a time of increasing enrollment. Union members also said this deficit, in turn, threatens a radical reorganization of academic programming.
When union members attended an April board of trustees meeting, it was discussed that GCC is facing a $2.86 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2027. College leaders detailed a series of proposed reductions, including merging departments, increasing class size caps and potential layoffs.
“I hope that the board understands the seriousness of this second vote, and understands how compromised President Schutt is as a leader,” Kearns read on Wednesday. “I also hope … that the board will respond appropriately so that GCC can continue to serve as the crown jewel of Franklin County long into the future.”
Schutt addressed the employees’ unhappiness by reading a statement explaining her desire to ensure GCC lives within its means and remains strong for years to come.
“Votes of no confidence are obviously very hurtful and serious, and when I can improve as a leader, I will, and when I need to hear harsh criticisms for doing my job, for doing what I believe is right for this college, I will,” she read, adding that she has always been transparent with the trustees and the community.
“I will keep making decisions this college needs, including the hard ones, because that’s the job I accepted,” she said. “I’m incredibly proud of our leadership cabinet. They understand this work and they do not flinch from it.”
Board of trustees Chair Anthony Scibelli told the crowd that his board is committed to sustaining trust in the college’s leadership.
“We don’t take a no-confidence vote lightly,” he said.
