UNION — Kean University's board of trustees voted unanimously tonight to extend President Dawood Farahi's employment contract by five years, ignoring faculty calls for new leadership on the troubled campus.

Farahi, 63, will remain in office through 2018 at his current $293,550-a-year salary, according to a deal approved by the trustees. He also remains eligible for an additional $200,000 retention bonus payable when his current contract expires on July 1, 2013.

The vote of confidence for the embattled president comes as Kean awaits word on whether its accreditation will be renewed. The 16,000-student public university was placed on probation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, its accrediting agency, in July for failing to meet several key standards.

Many on the Union Township campus called for the president to step down during the accreditation crisis, including the faculty senate, which issued a "no confidence" vote in Farahi’s leadership over the summer.

There had been similar calls for Farahi’s dismissal earlier this year when the faculty uncovered errors on the president’s resume. Farahi admitted mistakes were made on old versions of his resume. But the trustees backed Farahi then, as they did tonight with a contract renewal that stated the veteran president remains the best person to lead the growing university.

"The Board of Trustees believes that Dr. Dawood Farahi is best positioned to continue to lead Kean University in a time of globalization, economic uncertainty and the need for innovative educational leadership," the trustees said in the resolution approving the new deal.

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However, the board said Farahi’s new 5-year contract extension will not include any raise or additional bonuses. However, he will still receive the $200,000 retention bonus promised in his current contract, provided he remain in office until that deal ends on July 1, 2013.

In a statement released after the vote, Farahi said he was honored that the trustees had placed their confidence in him.

"Together, we will continue to transform Kean into a world-class university," Farahi said. "With the collaborative effort of the faculty, staff, administration and the board, I am certain Kean University will reach even greater heights. We remain true to our mission of access and excellence, and working together, we will empower every one of our students to realize their potential and achieve their dreams."

Farahi, who has been president for nearly a decade, has clashed with the faculty for years over everything from the number of hours professors should spend in their offices to plans to open a satellite campus in China.

After nearly a year of turmoil on campus, Kean got some good news last week when the school appeared to pass an inspection by a team from its accrediting agency. That raised hopes that the university’s Middle States probation may be lifted later this year and inspired many at the school to talk about a new era of collegiality and openness on campus.

The trustees voted tonight after spending several hours in a closed session discussing Farahi’s future. Earlier in the meeting, several alumni and students spoke in support of the president.

Union County College President Margaret McMenamin attended the meeting to tell the board Kean has become the "envy of New Jersey colleges and universities" under Farahi’s leadership.

"I commend this board of trustees for continuing to courageously support your courageous president," McMenamin said.

But several other speakers worried the new spirit of collegiality on campus might not last.

"This new culture of openness and respect is fragile and needs nurturing," said James Castiglione, a professor who heads the Kean Federation of Teachers, the faculty union.

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