The movement to minimize the faculty role in higher education needs to be resisted, in part by explaining to the public why the role is crucial, writes Peter Katopes.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Do Professors Matter?
Also bookmarked under Whither-U .... relevant to our mission, which is also about teaching and the quality of higher education
The movement to minimize the faculty role in higher education needs to be resisted, in part by explaining to the public why the role is crucial, writes Peter Katopes.
The movement to minimize the faculty role in higher education needs to be resisted, in part by explaining to the public why the role is crucial, writes Peter Katopes.
Update: Southwestern College Faculty Suspensions
Alternate title: it's not just a river in Egypt. Or that old Orwellian rag in which "suspended" = "withdrawal-of-consent-to-be-on-campused"
Previously blogged here, covered in local mainstream media, Workplace Blog, Inside Higher Education, Student Activism, and Writers Washroom ~ plus tweeted widely.... In case anyone is wonder what this has to do with adjunct equity, allow me to remind you that a) all suspended (or consent to be on campus withdrawn) are adjunct faculty, b) one of them is the president of the Adjunct Faculty Union that c) is under attack by a decertification campaign
Update: Southwestern College Faculty Suspensions blogged via Google Alerts from Student Activism by Angus Johnston, 11/2/09
Previously blogged here, covered in local mainstream media, Workplace Blog, Inside Higher Education, Student Activism, and Writers Washroom ~ plus tweeted widely.... In case anyone is wonder what this has to do with adjunct equity, allow me to remind you that a) all suspended (or consent to be on campus withdrawn) are adjunct faculty, b) one of them is the president of the Adjunct Faculty Union that c) is under attack by a decertification campaign
Update: Southwestern College Faculty Suspensions blogged via Google Alerts from Student Activism by Angus Johnston, 11/2/09
Inside Higher Ed has a new piece up this morning on the Southwestern College fiasco, bringing the story pretty much up to date. Go check it out.
Also this morning, a source on campus sent me a copy of the latest memo from the administration. It says that hearings for the four suspended (or, to use SWC's preferred phrasing, withdrawal-of-consent-to-be-on-campused) faculty members have been cancelled at the request of the faculty members involved.
"The Human Resources Deparment," the memo continues, "is diligently moving to conclude the investigation on this matter in the hopes that it can be resolved and that the three individuals may be returned to campus this week."
Yet another weird twist in a story composed exclusively of weird twists, in other words. But it gets a little less weird if you look at the text of the law under which the suspensions were authorized.
According to that law, a withdrawal of consent for an individual to be on campus automatically expires after fourteen days, and it cannot be renewed. An individual whose consent has been withdrawn may request a hearing, but the law says nothing about the format of such hearings, who conducts them, or what they are required or empowered to do.
Whether or not "the investigation on this matter … can be resolved" in the next few days, the three suspended professors will be back on campus by the end of the week. The SWC administration's memo notwithstanding, there's no "may" about it. On Friday they go back to work.
Assuming that there are no more weird twists, of course.
Reminder: Forum on P/T Faculty Unions
Just in case you forgot to write it down or bookmark our last post from Anne McLeer, SEIU 500, here's another reminder from Anne about the Forum on Part-time Faculty Unions with Joe Berry this Saturday Nov 7th in Washington DC
Please join us for a “Forum on Part-time Faculty Unions: A National and Local Movement” on Saturday Nov 7
Saturday Nov 7th, 9:00AM to noon, The Cullen Room at Busboys and Poets @ 5th & K, 1025 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Saturday Nov 7th, 9:00AM to noon, The Cullen Room at Busboys and Poets @ 5th & K, 1025 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001.
Petition to Rescind U of Akron DNA Sampling Rule
Surely you've caught the buzz over U Akron's DNA and NFM VP Matt Williams' dramatic reaction that brought the administrative regulation out of the shadows and put it square in the public eye.
The story moved out of academic and college presses and blogs in short order, jumping into non-academic social and mainstream media, even crossing the Atlantic.
Surely that's worth its own story but not just yet. First, let's add our names to the online petition that Matt created.
The petition calls on The University of Akron to rescind the offending provision of University Rule 3359-11-22 that DNA sampling of applicants for employment.
Please repost on any other blogs, lists, or websites. We want to reach 10K signatures by the end of the week.
Rescind University of Akron DNA Sampling Rule
The story moved out of academic and college presses and blogs in short order, jumping into non-academic social and mainstream media, even crossing the Atlantic.
Surely that's worth its own story but not just yet. First, let's add our names to the online petition that Matt created.
The petition calls on The University of Akron to rescind the offending provision of University Rule 3359-11-22 that DNA sampling of applicants for employment.
Please repost on any other blogs, lists, or websites. We want to reach 10K signatures by the end of the week.
Rescind University of Akron DNA Sampling Rule
Saturday, October 31, 2009
DNA in The Atlantic's Daily Dish
More national (& non-academic) coverage of NFM veep Matt Williams, Akron U & DNA kerfuffle in Andrew Sullivan's The Daily Dish column, "Resume, Cover Letter, DNA"
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