SIUC makes the Chronicle

We're back in the Chronicle of Higher Education, in a brief story from their "ticker" titled "Southern Illinois-Carbondale Moves to Subject Tenured Professors to Layoffs". The story is decidedly balanced, but does note importantly that the Board's "last, best, and final offer"

stands out from faculty contracts elsewhere in allowing the cash-strapped university to circumvent the usual requirement that a formal declaration of fiscal crisis precede any decision to lay off the tenured

The way things are headed, we'll get rather more play in the Chronicle before long.

FA: Imposed terms would destroy tenure

A new FA "Fact Sheet" makes the argument that the administration's imposed "Reduction in Force" language would essentially end tenure on this campus.

These terms would make for a radical change from the prior contract, which allowed for layoffs of tenured faculty only in the event of program elimination or "just cause" (i.e., serious misconduct). The last contract even included a side-letter saying that the administration would not lay off faculty on the grounds of financial exigency. Now they are claiming the authority to lay off faculty even without the messy PR and fiscal consequences of declaring a financial exigency. If you can be laid off at the sole discretion of the administration, your tenure isn't worth a damn.

Tenure is an essential part of academia as most faculty understand it. These terms, therefore, are poison. If not withdrawn or massively modified they will result in a strike. I think it's as simple as that.

Furlough Friday Event

Natasha Zaretsky et al are planing an event this Friday to celebrate our furloughs. Her flyer is below; after the break, her fuller announcement about the event.
Furlough Friday Flyer

Point vs. Counterpoint

Dueling op-ed pieces in the Southern today, presented in "Point" vs. "Counter-point" format.

• The Silent Majority piece we saw in the DE on April 13 was resurrected to serve as the Point.
• Natasha Zaretsky wrote a new op-ed piece attempting to explain, to the Southern's readers, why so many SIUC faculty and staff are upset with the administration's unwillingness to negotiate with campus unions.

Ken Anderson on Discretion

Ken Anderson (of Geology) asked us to post this piece, and we're happy to oblige, even if we don't share all of Ken's sentiments (or at least I, Dave, don't--but that's for another post).

A request to those who consider posting here…

Dear all,

I have a request of those who consider posting (or commenting on another’s post) on this site. Please look at the URL of this site. It is a public site that can be, and will be, found by anyone with access to Google or other search engines and an interest in SIU. Access to this site is not limited to SIU faculty, nor can anything that is posted here ever be truly removed or withdrawn. It is ultimately inevitable that what is posted here may be read by potential students, their families, the general public, alumni, legislators and policy makers – people upon whose good will we all depend.

Even when we disagree, SIU is an institution in which we must all share, both in its triumphs and its tribulations. It is shared space; it is our mutual proverbial sand box. I ask that you please not piss in our sand box.