Wednesday night, faculty members hosted a “Teach-in on Democracy and Participatory Governance” in response to the administration’s suspension and review of the Faculty Senate. I decided to attend out of sheer curiosity, to add some substance to the rumors about the issue. Speakers discussed the theory of democracy, what ways democracy is being threatened on RPI’s campus, and what can be done about it. In short, the discussion was passionately against the administration and its policies. Provocative remarks aimed at the administration were silenced only when an administrator in attendance announced his presence. One younger fellow seated in front of me sported a shirt that said “Not my Provost,” with an image of Robert Palazzo pasted like a mug shot next to the words. To be honest, this turbulent relationship between faculty and administration terrifies me. The teach-in seemed only to convince me that the academic equivalent of open revolt is imminent.

I have reached a few conclusions about this civil war at RPI. First, understand that I’m very partial to the faculty’s cause, but I cannot agree that democracy is being threatened. As a private institution, RPI has no formal democracy. The trustees are in charge of the school. We had a Faculty Senate in the first place because the trustees deemed it would improve the school. Simply, faculty must acknowledge that the members of the administration are the bosses.

However, although democracy is not being threatened, the school itself is being threatened. The administration’s decisions, when they ignore the interests of the faculty and students, severely degrade our school’s academic and social standing. A school’s excellence stems from the day-to-day interactions between students and professors. If the professors here are sufficiently unhappy, they will take their services elsewhere, and the students will follow. Students seek education—not administrations. The fact that the school is so angry at how it’s run is entirely the administration’s fault. In other words, although the administration is in charge of the school, the faculty is a fundamental building block of the school’s success. The administration should serve the faculty, students, and school.

One statement should say it all: faculty should respect the administration, and the administration should cater to the faculty and students. Neither party is required to do these things. But then again, in New Hampshire, no one over 18 is required to wear a seat belt while driving. It would just be stupid not to.

John Lazos

CSCI ’09