PA studies program director unexpectedly forced to step down

Renée Baernstein, dean of the College of Arts and Science, and Interim Provost Chris Makaroff demoted Christopher Howell, program director of the Physician Associate (PA) Studies program at Miami University, from his position on Dec. 12, 2025.

According to a faculty member close to Howell in the Physician Associate Studies Department, Baernstein invited Howell to an impromptu meeting in Upham Hall, where she notified him that he was being put on administrative leave immediately.

That same afternoon, students received an email from Baernstein that Howell “is stepping back from the director role and will be returning to the faculty.” Three days later, students received another email from Rebekah Moore, academic director for the PA program, that Howell would be on vacation until Jan. 6, 2026.

He did not return on Jan. 6.

Instead, he returned to the classroom to teach on Jan. 22, while assistant teaching professor Christopher Hackett stepped into the role of interim PA program director.

Baernstein came to speak to Howell’s students at the Cleveland Clinic Health Sciences and Wellness Facility in a Q&A session on Jan. 12 after 20 students and 10 parents sent emails expressing their concern.

All 36 students in the 2027 cohort showed up.

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She said Howell is not in any trouble or under investigation, and added that she never specified that he would return Jan. 6, she only said he would come back “sometime over the next couple weeks.”

A current student in the PA program, who will remain anonymous for fear of facing repercussions from faculty, expressed concern about the situation after hearing different explanations from the administration about the date of his return and the reason for his leave.

Originally, Baernstein told students he would be stepping down, but later said it was a decision made by the university’s administration across the board.

“I should have been more careful in how I spoke,” Baernstein said during the Q&A session. “I'm not going to be able to explain that. I cannot tell you. I'm not allowed to tell you all the ‘why.’ OK, I'm sorry. I should not have said – It was a decision that had a broad set of reasons and scopes and background that I can't share.”

Many students in the program said they value Howell as a teacher and mentor, and some even chose the program solely for his leadership. They asked about 40 questions at the Q&A session in attempts to understand the sudden switch.

An anonymous student also created a TikTok account, @reinstate.drhowell, to bring awareness to the issue and promote the message to make him director again.

“Your focus right now should be on your academic success,” Baernstein said at the end of the session. “It should be on putting your head down, getting the studying done [and] keeping your eyes on the prize in terms of your career.”

According to the faculty member close to Howell, he received no prior warning or opportunity to challenge this decision.

At Miami, whoever files the complaint against the employee is supposed to meet with them and give them the opportunity to improve on the accusations. The employee should receive paperwork explaining the reasons for their demotion and be given the chance to appeal. This process is outlined in the Grievance Procedures in the Miami University Policy Library.

In the Loudermill Rights — a labor, employment and education firm — it states that public employees in Ohio are required to receive notice and a chance to dispute the cause for dismissal.

Baernstein did not comment on the lack of due process in a statement to The Miami Student.

Howell returned to the classroom to teach on Jan. 22, while assistant teaching professor Christopher Hackett stepped into the role of interim PA program director.

The current PA student said Howell’s students feel uneasy about the contrasting answers from faculty and still want answers about what happened to Howell and why.

“Not only are they tearing down his character and his life, but now they're influencing ours,” the current PA student said. “It's starting to take away from our education.”

kleinmim@miamioh.edu

obrie175@miamioh.edu