Please find below the comments made by our colleagues, Judy Kaplan-Weinger, Nanette Potee and Gregory Anderson at the June 10 meeting of the NEIU Board of Trustees.
Judy Kaplan-Weinger is a Professor of Linguistics and Chair of the Faculty Senate.
Good Afternoon.
I am Judy Kaplan-Weinger, professor and coordinator of linguistics and chair of the Faculty Senate. I am here today representing the Senate and the faculty we serve. I want to thank those trustees who invited faculty to speak with you today and thank each of you for welcoming us.
The presence of faculty here today speaks to a very important step in opening the channels of shared governance at NEIU. As the Board of Trustees, you sit atop the shared governance structure. Yet, I am sorry to say that there is a perception among many faculty that you are difficult to reach. In fact, when some faculty have inquired of particular administrators if they could take their concerns to the Board, they were told they could not. I learned differently, of course, when I attended my first meeting of the Board in September 2009 in my role as Senate chair and realized you offered open time for comments. Still, very few faculty feel comfortable speaking with you as they are concerned that public mention of their concerns may lead to reprisal.
What the faculty would like me to address with you today is the seeming lack of collaboration between the Board of Trustees, the administration, and the faculty in matters concerning this university and our students. You have our letter in which we wrote about low faculty morale and confidence. These concerns are as much an outcome of issues with shared governance as with the contract negotiations.
We hope that in hearing from the faculty today you will consider our concerns.
Additionally, in the spirit of collaboration and trust, we request that a representative of the Board of Trustees visit Faculty Senate meetings to hear first hand of the concerns of faculty. Again, these concerns are not centered on us, but on our University and our students’ needs.
Additionally, with respect to the University values of community and integrity, we also express, most sincerely, the need for a faculty member to sit with you on the Board of Trustees.
Thank you.
Nanette Potee is an Associate Professor in Communications, Media and Theater and is the Secretary of the NEIU/UPI chapter of Local 4100.
As the Secretary of the UPI and representative of the Department of Communication, Media and Theatre, I am here in a variety of capacities.
The excruciatingly slow pace of the UPI/NEIU contract negotiations has us all very concerned (is disturbing). It is apparent that the process of settling our contract, now open for almost two years, is taking its toll on the entire University. The costs are high. Financially, intellectually and emotionally.
As Dr. Hahs reported in her response to the UPI’s FOIA request, as of March 2010, the total expenditures by the administration totaled $155,599 and continue to mount.
Expenses for the administrative team members is nearly $100,000 alone !!! For a team of 5 people!! This is outrageous. While the release of the FOIA speaks to transparency, it has sparked a great deal of resentment, disbelief and outrage in the university community when the message has been time and again that “the university has no money.”
While the negotiation expenses incurred by the administration may be legal, they are unconscionable. Especially given that Departments are being asked to do more and more with smaller budgets and students are paying higher tuition and fees. In this time of budget crisis across the state and nation, we cannot and do not condone this type offensive spending.
As a department, we want to see the limited dollars the University has put towards education, not negotiation. Having an open contract for this long has an adverse effect on morale across the University.
Those of you who know me can attest to the fact that I am generally a very positive person, but my soul is tired and I have lost a great deal of faith. I am at a loss, because no matter how the lack of cooperative negotiation and budget expenditures are rationalized, there is a lack of respect present that is tearing at the bond between the administration and much of the university.
I respectfully request that you encourage the NEIU administrative team to meet as often as possible, respond expediently with substantive counter-proposals, address the outstanding issues, and get the work of settling the contract done. We all, administration, faculty, staff and students, need to work together to survive in this budget climate. I also recommend that the administrative team forgo their “stipends” for the remainder of the negotiation process. We need to focus our energies on the good work of teaching students, improving NEIU in truly meaningful ways, and contributing to our scholarly communities.
I would also like to make a plea to both negotiation teams to leave your personal issues and feelings of animosity out side the room. We are all here to further the mission and values of this University. Let us get back to it!!
Gregory Anderson is the chair of Chemistry, Earth Science and Physics.
Department chairs are faculty but are not included in the bargaining unit but are members of the NEIU Faculty Senate. Therefore, his remarks are posted on the Faculty Senate site and can be found at the following link: Faculty Senate – G. Anderson
