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AConversationwithGaryRhoades,

GeneralSecretaryoftheNationalAAUP

ColoradoConferenceAnnualMeeting,2009

(SummarizedandeditedbyDeanSaitta,Colorado

ConferenceCo-President)

On14November2009agrayandsnowySaturdaya

smallgroupofColoradoConferenceAAUPmembers

attendingtheannualmeetinginBouldermetwithour

specialguestGaryRhoades,GeneralSecretaryoftheNational

AAUP(forabiographygoto

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/about/gensec/).Wecoveredawidevarietyofissues.Heres

asummaryreportofthatconversation.

GarysprimarymissionasAAUPGeneralSecretaryistochangethediscoursearound

highereducationintheUnitedStates.HenotedthatColoradoisabitofacrazedstateas

concernstheconditionofacademicfreedomandsharedgovernanceonourcampuses.Thefactorscontributingtosuchcrazinessarewellknown.TheyincludeDavidHorowitzs

lobbyingofthestatelegislaturetoremedyallegedliberalbiasintheclassroomteachingofColoradoprofessors,andeffortsbytheAmericanCouncilofTrusteesandAlumni(ACTA)

topromotethecorporaterestructuringofColoradohighereducationandtheteachingof

WesternCivilizationshistoryandvalues(ColoradoiswidelyknowntobeanACTA-intensivestate).Theyincludewell-publicized,andnot-so-wellpublicized,effortsby

administratorstore-writefacultyhandbooksandcircumventestablisheddueprocessat

placeslikeMetroStateandMesaState.Mostdramaticallyandsignificantly,theyincludeCU-BouldersdismissalofProfessorWardChurchillforallegedresearchmisconduct.

AlthoughaDenverDistrictCourtjurydecidedthatCUadministratorsandregentshad

violatedChurchillsconstitutionalrightsbyfiringhimforpoliticalspeech,thepresiding

judgevacatedthatdecisionandgrantedtheColoradoregentsquasi-judicialimmunityto

terminatetenuredfacultyforanyreasonandwithoutthefacultymemberhavingrecourse.

Atthesametime,ColoradoscrazinessmeansthattheColoradoConferenceoftheAAUPis

well-positionedtoadvancehighereducationpolicyconversationsinthestateandnation.

GaryapplaudedConferenceinitiativeslikeourFriendofHigherEducationAwardgiven

annuallytoadeservinglegislator.HepraisedtheinnovativenessoftheCU-BoulderchaptersInstructorTenureProject(http://www.aaupcu.org/whatwedo/itp.html)and

complimentedrecenteffortsbycolleaguesatCSU-Pueblotopersuadetheiradministration

tobemoretransparentandaccountableaboutthefinancialstateofthatinstitution.He

emphasizedtheNationalAAUPswillingnesstohelpwiththesecampusefforts,giventhat

theacademicworkforceisanecosystem:whathappensononecampusstandstoaffectusall.HenotedthatotheralliescanbefoundattheAssociationofGoverningBoards

(AGB),especiallyasconcernsthetrainingofuniversityandcollegetrusteeswhoareoften

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woefullyuninformedaboutthemeaningofacademicfreedomandsharedgovernance.The

AGBisnotkindly-disposedtowardsACTA,whomitconsiderstobeanirresponsible

upstart.

KeyChallengestoFaculty:Garyidentifiedthreecriticalneedsinthehighereducation

policydiscourse:

1.Theneedtoquestionassumptionsthatdrivethecurrentdiscourse,especially(a)

thatcollegesanduniversitiesareinfinancialcrisisand(b)thatinstitutionshaveno

choicebuttoimposefurloughs,salarycuts,andprogrameliminationsinordertodealwiththecrisis.Alternatively,itcanbearguedthatpublicinstitutionsarenotinthecondition

thatmostacademicadministratorssuggest[forexample,see

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/12/23/audit].Theyarecertainlynotbroke.

Whilethepercentageofstatesupportforpublichighereducationhasbeendecliningin

Coloradoandelsewhere,otherrevenuesaregoingupasaresultofintensifiedfundraising,expansionofgrantsandcontracts,thebrandingoflogos,investmentsincontinuing

educationprograms,tuitionincreases,andothersources.Collegesanduniversitieshavebeencorporatizinginthiswayforlast25yearsalthoughsuchcorporatizationisnot,in

principle,agoodthing.Thus,iftheresacrisisatallitsthecosttothepublicofcutting

facultyandprogramsonspuriousgrounds.Facultygenerateeducationalvalue;theyare

thelastresourceoncollegecampusesthatshouldbelaidofforfurloughed.

2.Theneedtoexamineinternalprioritiesregardinghowinstitutionsspendthemoneythattheyhave.Rhoadesnotedthatadministrativesalarieshaveincreased101%

overlast25yearswhilefacultysalarieshaveincreasedonly17%overthatsametime.This

patternholdsforbothpublicandprivateinstitutions.Moneyhasbeengoingintofacilities

ratherthanfaculties.Ifbudgetcutsaretobemadethepainshouldnotbesharedequally

amongadministratorsandfaculty.Weshouldexpectsteepercuts,lay-offs,andfurloughsforadministrators.Thereisopportunityheretomakecommoncausewithstudents

regardingwhathappenswhenfacultythekeyelementthataddseducationalvaluetothe

academicenterprisearethreatenedbybudgetcuts.

3.Theneedtoexercisevoiceandreclaimthemoralhighgroundregarding(a)academicfreedom,(b)tenure,and(c)sharedgovernance.Academicfreedomis

centraltoeducationalquality.Itsintheclearpublicinteresttosupportit.Qualitysuffers

wherefreedomiseroded,andfreedomisverymuchatriskinstateslikeColorado.Wemustcounterthecommonslamsthatfacultyareonlyconcernedaboutparking,thatwe

work10hoursperweek,andthattenureguaranteesalifetimeofemployment.Inaddition

tomakingcommoncausewithstudentswemustmakecommoncausewithcontingentfacultywholacktenuresprotection.Weespeciallyneed,inthewakeoftheSupreme

Courts2006Garcettiv.Ceballosdecisionfindingthatpublicemployeesstatementsabout

administrativepolicyarenotshieldedfromdisciplinaryactionbyemployers,totakesteps

toensurethatfacultyspeecharoundinstitutionalgovernanceisprotected.Facultyhavea

righttospeakoutaboutinstitutionalmatters,includingprogrammaticdirections,without

fearofretaliation.Theseprotectionsneedtobewrittenintofacultyhandbooksandgiven

realteeth.AccordingtoRhoades,unlessweexercisevoicewerescrewed.[Forthe

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AAUPsresponsetoGarcettiv.Ceballosgoto

http://www.aaup.org/AAUP/protectvoice/Overview.htm].

InrelationtoChallenge#3theWardChurchillcasetookupasignificantamountof

discussiontime.TheChurchillcasedeeplydividedthestaffandelectedleadershipofthe

NationalAAUP.GaryfreelyopinedthatNationalbungledthecase.Indeed,helikenedittotheAAUPrunningforcoverduringtheMcCarthyinquisitionofthe1950s.Bynowthe

NationalAAUPsadmissionaboutmishandlingoftheChurchillcaseisnotnews.Inthe

December1issueoftheChronicleofHigherEducation(andinhisforthcomingbookNo

UniversityisanIsland:SavingAcademicFreedom)NationalAAUPpresidentCaryNelsonnotesthat

Thesubstantiveconcernthatthewholeinvestigationhadbeenpolitically

motivatedwastrumpedbytheAAUPsproceduralism[i.e.,itstraditional

unwillingnesstosecond-guessfacultycommitteeschargedwithgivingfacultymemberstheirdueprocessrights].Wearenowlookingataseriesofsuchpolitical

casestore-evaluateourpracticesandgivegeneraladvicetocollegesanduniversitiesabouthowtohandlepubliccritiquesofpolitically-controversialfaculty

members.

InconjunctionwiththisdiscussionConferenceattendeesapprovedamotiontoprepare

ourownreportabouttheChurchillcaseinsteadoforganizingaformalstateconference

investigationintoproceduralirregularitiesasoriginallydecidedatthesummer2009

ConferenceExecutiveCommitteemeeting.Thisreportwillbebroadenedtoincludethe

politically-motivatedfiringsatCU-BoulderofPhilMitchellandAdrienneAnderson.Itwill

coverthefactsofeachcaseandtheirchillingeffectsonacademicfreedomandshared

governance.Garyeagerlyagreedtoourrequestthathewriteaclosingcommentaryforthe

reportthatwouldputthesecasesintonationalperspective.UponcompletionthereportwillbedistributedtoappropriateprofessionalorganizationsandHigherEducation

publications.

AtseveralpointsintheconversationGaryemphasizedthatthecorporatemodelofhigher

educationisanunsustainableone,especiallyforpublicinstitutions.Weneedaneducatedcitizenry.Statesneedtoincreasetheirappropriationsforhighereducation,andtrustees

needtobemadeawareoffacultyrightsandobligationsasconcernsacademicfreedomand

sharedgovernance.TheconversationendedwithsomebrainstormingabouthowtheNationalAAUPcanhelpstateconferencesandcampuschaptersintheiroutreachefforts.

Nationalnowhastheabilitytotargettobroadsidespecificemailmessagesaboutstate

andchapterconcernstoallmembersofaninstitutionsfaculty.Asalways,Nationalisreadytoprovidespecificexpertiseabouthowtohandleaparticularfacultygrievance.

TherewasunanimousagreementthattheAAUPneedstodomuchmoreuptoand

includingmountingavigorousnationalcampaignusingprintmaterialandDVDsto

promoteabetterunderstandingofacademicfreedombytrustees,administrators,faculty,

thegeneralpublic,andotherhighereducationstakeholders.