Saturday, February 18, 2012

On Thursday, February 16, President Allen shared a message with the faculty including the following paragraph:

Academic and non-academic programs, support services, and outsourcing opportunities are being reviewed.  Malcolm Price Lab School, the UNI Museum, Panther Athletics and UNI Print Services are included in this review.  We will announce academic program mergers and closures.  The academic programs are those with low enrollment and few graduates.  Students enrolled in those programs will be allowed to finish their programs.

The Courier's article on anticipated program cuts can be found at:
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/update---uni-president-cuts-could-be-coming-for/article_986f279a-58f0-11e1-baab-0019bb2963f4.html

While our contract does not permit United Faculty to negotiate curricular changes or program closures other than those that involve lay-offs, these can and should be discussed by the Faculty Senate.  The administration is required to meet with United Faculty to negotiate a definition of what a program is if the administration intends to lay-off tenured faculty members.  It has met with UF three times to discuss this definition.  We recognize that most faculty teach in more than one program and even when one program is closed, teaching in another program ought to preserve a faculty member's position.  Moreover, protecting the core mission of the university, its academic mission and faculty, is our highest priority.   We have and will continue to insist on these positions.
United Faculty would like to provide a forum for faculty to discuss these proposed program closures, their implications for UNI's mission, and our appropriate response.  Please consider adding here to these on-going discussions.

4 comments:

  1. I propose a faculty protest for Friday, Feb 24. In all classes, faculty should observe a minute of silence at half past the hour. We could display a sign (slide, chalk) that reads "UNI Faculty Support and Protect the Academic Integrity of the University"

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    1. I agree--especially in light of the conspicuous absence of the President at the faculty meeting with the Faculty Senate yesterday. I think that a protest like this would also let the students see that what is happening is a huge problem for us all.

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  2. Agree as well. We also need to consider halting all curriculum changes - catalog changes immediately. Any change to the lab school will impact (unintended consequences as mentioned in the meeting yesterday) 3000 teacher ed majors and nearly all programs on campus. We would have to redesign each major impacted by level 1 and 2 programs on campus for teacher ed.

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  3. Was anyone disappointed by yesterday's meeting?

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