Chattanooga State Community College President Jim Catanzaro on Friday afternoon indicated he is standing firm despite a faculty no confidence vote.
There were 135 faculty members saying they had no confidence in the longtime president.
Just 40 expressed confidence in him. Thirty abstained.
The vote began Tuesday and the results were counted Friday afternoon.
They are not binding, but officials said they would "send a message" to the State Board of Regents.
Dr. Catanzaro said, "Faculty have spoken. It is my hope that healing can now be under way, healing that will lead us back to being the college family that worked together over many years to bring to us and to our community national recognition for excellence.
"New opportunities—with TN Promise in the lead—are coming our way. We need to be positioned to take full advantage of them. Significant challenges are also before us, not the least of which is finding alternative sources of funding critically needed to improve faculty, staff and adjunct compensation.
"We must also be proactive in responding to the major shifts occurring in American higher education, recognizing that, as the numbers of graduates increase, we must remain certain that they meet and exceed employer expectations.
"I believe, as before, Chattanooga State will rise to these challenges, and remain a national leader in community college education."