New admin in the college workplace: just not getting it

SOMETIMES I THINK NOBODY GETS IT

At my community college we have a relatively new upper administration. The President is just finishing her 2nd year and the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) just finished her first year here. Neither one has strong academic background and the VPAA has not yet learned the 'culture' of the College. For example in the Spring semester, she cancelled classes with 9 and 10 students in them (some were required for the students to graduate) and then complained that enrollment was down! 

Reflections on AAUP's Contingent Faculty & Governance Report

I just feel I need to comment on the AAUP report regarding Contingent Faculty governance.

CAW Survey redux

…and as often as necessary until you read it, stop preaching to the choir and find ways to share it with non-academic stakeholders... and maybe academic ones in denial.

You've seen the first round of the articles in higher ed media. You've read, added trenchant or glowing comments to articles and blogs. Guess what? Just reading articles, pro or/and con, is no different than getting by with the Cliff Notes version.


(The graphic to the left is from the Inside HigherEd article by Kaustuv Basu ~ shout out to NH Adjuncts United for reminding me about it ) 


If you haven't seen actual results, this report from the CAW website will be of interest, if depressing and hardly surprising, and comes highly recommended as a research documentation of contingent faculty conditions of employment.

AAUP Conference Shared Governance

Registration is now open for the AAUP Shared Governance Conference and Workshops. This special event will take place November 12–14, 2010, at Washington's stylish Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel, home to Art and Soul, one of DC's best new restaurants. The conference will feature three days of presentations exploring important aspects of college and university governance, an opportunity to network with governance leaders from across the country, plus expert-led training workshops for governance leaders and those aspiring to positions of leadership. Professor Judith Areen, interim dean and Paul Regis Dean Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, will deliver the keynote Neil Rapport Lecture. This will be a unique opportunity to learn about best practices in faculty governance. Hear experts' advice about empowering faculty and developing an effective faculty voice on your campus on matters of concern to you.