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Week In Review: UMass Boston; WBUR Poll

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Keith Motley said he plans to step down from his position as UMass Boston's eighth chancellor on June 30. (Courtesy masshighered/Flickr)
Keith Motley said he plans to step down from his position as UMass Boston's eighth chancellor on June 30. (Courtesy masshighered/Flickr)

This week, we look at a story that's been dominating the local news: the turmoil at UMass Boston.

Chancellor Keith Motley announced that he plans to step down in June. His resignation comes as the school is facing a multimillion-dollar budget deficit.

Motley spoke at the UMass Trustees meeting Tuesday, where he defended his tenure and the school, saying, "I own every issue, I get too much credit for successes and I'm proud to wear on my back — whatever is on my back — around this institution."

The next day students, staff and others protested Motley's departure and the proposed cuts in class offerings. UMass Boston senior Juan Blanco told WBZ-TV Motley shouldn't take all the blame.

"Our administration need to be held accountable as well," said Blanco. "They made certain decisions that created part of this problem. But I think to reduce it just to our chancellor, that's something I've seen in the media and it's a very dangerous notion."

Guests

Renee Graham, columnist for The Boston Globe and a WBUR contributor. She tweets @reneeygraham.

Tom Keane, former Boston city councilor and contributor to WBUR's Cognoscenti. He tweets @tomkeaneboston.

This segment aired on April 14, 2017.

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