tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post321272508825555090..comments2023-10-10T04:30:38.687-05:00Comments on Deo volente: Bargaining Report 2: Financial ExigencyDave Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09100006856645294730noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-14263174008748432912011-10-19T15:34:16.009-05:002011-10-19T15:34:16.009-05:00Jon Bean found the policy online, but, to beat thi...Jon Bean found the policy online, but, to beat this dead horse, the policy is buried on an SIUC policy page and can be changed by the administration (Chancellor and/or President) without a BOT vote It is contradicted by language in the BOT policy and the imposed terms. The FA has not denied that there is language on financial exigency and tenure in BOT policy or SIUC policy, only that this Dave Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09100006856645294730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-18054439259216239652011-10-19T10:40:09.786-05:002011-10-19T10:40:09.786-05:00I can think of two reasons: #1 people have such di...I can think of two reasons: #1 people have such distrust of the administration that they are willing to believe that Chancellor Cheng does, indeed, wish to diminish tenure protections. The 30-day RIF clause, indeed, is scary and spooked me for a while, until I thought that it really wouldn't be in the university's interest to proceed down this path: a) they would piss off any remaining Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-78167853768201048732011-10-19T09:47:01.193-05:002011-10-19T09:47:01.193-05:00Jon Bean is absolutely correct. He was the first ...Jon Bean is absolutely correct. He was the first on this blog to cite the info I discussed above. I gave the original primary source rather than cite a blog post which cited the original source, but I did not mean to dis JB by doing so. My point was that this has been discussed before and is well known. That being the case why are people still making claims that are contradicted by the Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-48765168530738895872011-10-18T22:49:12.248-05:002011-10-18T22:49:12.248-05:00LOL....
Sorry to continue griping, but the Bean ...LOL....<br /><br /><br />Sorry to continue griping, but the Bean proposal is infinitely more reasonable sounding than continuing to stick to the FA supposal. Question is: can we put away the conspiracy theories about Cheng wishing to turn SIUC into another University of Phoenix, et cetera? Granted, it is in the faculty's interest to get as robust language as possible into the contract but Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-5712589212836449102011-10-18T22:18:07.492-05:002011-10-18T22:18:07.492-05:00Well, Dave, I want to invoke being the original so...Well, Dave, I want to invoke being the original source (on this venerable blog) of the "obscure" link finding:<br /><br />http://siucfaculty.blogspot.com/2011/09/tenure-15.html<br /><br />From the Equally Obscure Bean<br /><br />:- )Jonathan Beannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-5156211204283121752011-10-18T22:15:53.856-05:002011-10-18T22:15:53.856-05:00I appreciate the further clarification. I agree, ...I appreciate the further clarification. I agree, your proposal (speaking as Dave the Blogger) seems like a way out of the logjam we seem to be in (although without being in the bargaining room, who really knows?)Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-35145992556633779342011-10-18T20:24:51.886-05:002011-10-18T20:24:51.886-05:00Disgusted: let me be a bit clearer. What I said i...Disgusted: let me be a bit clearer. What I said in the quotation isn't, precisely speaking, the position of the FA. It was more or less the position implied by my earlier post on tenure. The FA's position is that its interest is in producing a "transparent and accountable" process for handling financial exigency, and that any set of procedures that would do that would be Dave Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09100006856645294730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-4922459526283193002011-10-18T17:22:01.949-05:002011-10-18T17:22:01.949-05:00"I hold out hope that the FA and BOT can agre..."I hold out hope that the FA and BOT can agree on a solid financial exigency policy that provides a non-circular definition of financial exigency, and proper checks and balances on the procedure, while allowing SIUC adequate flexibility to deal with a genuine crisis. The tenure status quo in 1996--adequately clarified and cleaned up--would provide one obvious place for a compromise between &Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-8540526392276089032011-10-18T10:53:12.271-05:002011-10-18T10:53:12.271-05:00:-):-)Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-36487837970331343432011-10-18T10:52:23.918-05:002011-10-18T10:52:23.918-05:00I can see the headlines now...
Dave Johnson, Prof...I can see the headlines now...<br /><br />Dave Johnson, Professor of Foreign Languages & Literatures at SIUC announces that he "is with child".<br /><br />Faculty stunned.Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-52291779970701919052011-10-18T10:43:32.364-05:002011-10-18T10:43:32.364-05:00It seems to me that an Administration that has all...It seems to me that an Administration that has allowed negotiations to stretch out over 460 days and who clearly demonstrates procedural abuses of non-decisions to support its positions and create a new <i>status quo</i> is clearly banking on the benefits of issue exhaustion. Beware of getting "sick and tired" and accepting anything to move on. I, for one, would rather not confirm theJonathan Graynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-36606090792170762222011-10-18T10:32:48.588-05:002011-10-18T10:32:48.588-05:00Damn! You beat us to the punch, Dave. We were al...Damn! You beat us to the punch, Dave. We were all set to premier on the steps of Shryock next summer. <br /><br />CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ROCK!!!!Settled for the Pseudonymnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-19359296282107105372011-10-18T10:25:27.663-05:002011-10-18T10:25:27.663-05:00Okay, Socrates Finger, it's time to come clean...Okay, Socrates Finger, it's time to come clean. I have two hypotheses for your name. <br /><br />The first is that it is based on an error, that you are referring to <b>Plato's</b> famous upward pointing finger in the painting by Raphael in the Vatican. <br /><br />The second is that you are referring to <i>the</i> finger, and that you would either give Socrates the finger or have Dave Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09100006856645294730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-55910628390479888072011-10-18T10:19:07.690-05:002011-10-18T10:19:07.690-05:00I took 24 hours off of the comment stream, and wil...I took 24 hours off of the comment stream, and will not try to respond to everything here. But I do have one important point to make, I think. The clear language about financial exigency Socrates Finger points to (at 10:21 am on 10/17) is found in an obscure document in SIUC policy, which is not, to the best of my knowledge, "incorporated" into the contract in the latest BOT proposalDave Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09100006856645294730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-53750669742582582132011-10-18T07:32:45.771-05:002011-10-18T07:32:45.771-05:00That's a non starter. The FA cannot negotiate ...That's a non starter. The FA cannot negotiate any aspect of the terms and conditions of employment of anyone it does not represent. For the same reason I doubt that the FA is gong to be able to "win" regarding the order of layoffs in the event of a FE situation. Those types of stipulations would require agreement by the other employees affected and I very much doubt that every Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-37440042764886866282011-10-18T02:06:04.342-05:002011-10-18T02:06:04.342-05:00That does indeed sound reasonable!That does indeed sound reasonable!Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-33075259392129197062011-10-18T01:33:23.320-05:002011-10-18T01:33:23.320-05:00Here is a reasonable proposal:
If a ‘financial ex...Here is a reasonable proposal:<br /><br />If a ‘financial exigency’ is truly warranted and declared by the BOT this should require the University President, Chancellor, Provosts, and their other top associates to personally take a 25% pay cut as part of any FE authorization before any other actions are taken. <br /><br />That would certainly provide a personal incentive for the ‘leadership’ to Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-54318460462374199132011-10-17T20:54:28.438-05:002011-10-17T20:54:28.438-05:00Let's come up with a reasonable definition of ...Let's come up with a reasonable definition of exigency without tying the administration in knots with waiting 2-3 years and so forth, declare victory that we have this contractualized, and move on! I swear, I am sick and tired of this issue.Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-81397575113171938042011-10-17T18:17:45.904-05:002011-10-17T18:17:45.904-05:00Socrates Finger makes a lot of sense.
Great alia...Socrates Finger makes a lot of sense. <br /><br />Great alias too. LOLAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-78722727225190070022011-10-17T15:07:26.843-05:002011-10-17T15:07:26.843-05:00Isn't that a reasonable definition-- a 50% cut...Isn't that a reasonable definition-- a 50% cut or a rescission? It would be absurd to think that something like a 50% cut wouldn't warrant some kind of adjustments without waiting an additional 2-3 years like Socrates Finger pointed out. As for a rescission, this might be more of a concern, given that the amount rescinded could vary. However, isn't it reasonable again to state thatAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-49002232371505106012011-10-17T14:24:18.821-05:002011-10-17T14:24:18.821-05:00It may be that there are stronger definitions of f...It may be that there are stronger definitions of financial exigency out there, but there are also weaker examples from closely comparable universities. Consider this from the NIU board of Trustees Regulations:<br /><br />“FINANCIAL EXIGENCY<br />For the purpose of this Regulation, financial exigency shall be defined as follows: <br />A financial exigency is a condition affecting a whole Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-8979371558938516832011-10-17T12:20:28.886-05:002011-10-17T12:20:28.886-05:00Yes there are, and they are wrong on both counts.Yes there are, and they are wrong on both counts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-68022389508044907182011-10-17T11:59:19.430-05:002011-10-17T11:59:19.430-05:00Yes, but there are some around here that think all...Yes, but there are some around here that think all administrators are evil or useless... (Rolling my eyes)Disgustednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-3774967747520893892011-10-17T11:52:35.817-05:002011-10-17T11:52:35.817-05:00In the event of a catastrophe resulting in an FE s...In the event of a catastrophe resulting in an FE situation the university will undoubtedly shrink, but it is naive to imagine a functional university with only teaching staff. Universities are complex organizations and any complex organization with significant physical assets needs a mixture of staff to function. Obviously teaching staff, including faculty will be core, but some level of Socrates Fingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3492014659405332380.post-92089414465556986892011-10-17T11:23:39.712-05:002011-10-17T11:23:39.712-05:00Seems to me that after students, faculty & sta...Seems to me that after students, faculty & staff are the University's most valuable asset. Why does the Administration treat both parties with contempt?<br /><br />Here's a couple of questions to ponder: <br />1) Can the University meet its mission without faculty & staff?<br />I think not......<br /><br />2) Can the University meet it's mission without administrators?<br />I Confusednoreply@blogger.com