It has been four weeks since we last commented on the state of faculty governance. Sadly, in that time, the situation hasn’t seen any resolution; rather, we find ourselves on the brink of total disaster for the Institute. In spite of repeated attempts by the faculty as a body to work with the administration to repair the damage that has been done and carry the university beyond this debacle, neither the president nor provost have expressed any willingness to yield or even compromise.
The fact that the administration has openly and completely disregarded the concerns of the faculty, the students, and the community is reprehensible. Two weeks ago, the faculty circulated a referendum reaffirming the Spring 2007 Faculty Senate elections and requesting “dialogue … [about] a legitimate process of shared governance that results in restored mutual trust.” The resolution passed 200–21–7 with only tenured and tenure-track faculty members voting.
Those numbers reflect an impressive voter turnout—over 60 percent of the eligible faculty members—and also indicate that an overwhelming majority of the faculty wants the administration to handle the issue of faculty governance differently. The administration’s response to this vote, as presented by Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Relations William Walker, seemed to ignore both of these points; it merely stated that the information from the resolution would be “discussed with the academic leadership of Rensselaer and shared with the Faculty Governance Review Committee.” Walker also downplayed the referendum by calling it “unofficial” (even though he provided no justification for that verbiage) and said that it would not have any immediate effect on the suspension of the Faculty Senate.
The circus continued last week as President Shirley Ann Jackson met with the faculty to discuss the situation and hopefully reconcile their differences. The meeting itself was closed to members of the press and non-tenure-track faculty; several professors who did attend, however, indicated that in spite of her friendly overtures of cooperation, Jackson came to the table unwilling to back down on key issues, including the reinstatement of the Senate.
This authoritarian approach has to stop. Already, the state of faculty governance at RPI has drawn national media coverage and criticism from several reputable external authorities, including The Chronicle of Higher Education and the American Association of University Professors. The negative press will only grow if the administration persists in these methods.
Even worse, as the faculty members—who supposedly comprise the core of the Institute—grow increasingly disenfranchised, we will start to lose them. Furthermore, we will lose our ability to attract brilliant new minds; after all, who would want to dedicate their careers to an institution that will in turn utterly disregard them and their opinions? And if things continue still, what do we have to look forward to? Will RPI grind to a halt due to a faculty strike?
Jackson and her administration have brought great things to this campus. Because of their work, we, as a university, have excelled in many fields where we have historically been lacking. That does not, however, excuse the current situation. All the good that they have done is on the verge of being destroyed. Without the goodwill of the faculty, Jackson’s Renaissance will turn into the Dark Ages at Rensselaer. If the president and her administration will not recognize this, it is time for them to move on and make room for people who do.
