University of South Florida chapter of United Faculty of Florida Files Grievance Over Academic Affairs Reorganization

"At a great university, faculty are at the heart of crucial decisions about the future. An administrator who acts as if he or she believes in benevolent despotism only increases the cynicism and erodes the morale of the faculty. In a time of severe budget cuts, the University of South Florida cannot afford either."--Sherman Dorn, chapter president.

[The chapter includes Librarians]
United Faculty of Florida -- USF Chapter.Biweekly Newsletter EXTRA
July 15, 2008

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GRIEVANCES FILED OVER ACADEMIC-AFFAIRS REORGANIZATION

The United Faculty of Florida is representing several faculty members who filed individual grievances July 11 [2008] in response to the reorganization of Academic Affairs. The grievants are from the colleges of Arts and Sciences and Business Administration.

On June 12, the provost announced that he was moving entire units between colleges and creating a new college out of FMHI and several departments from Arts and Sciences. The grievances assert that the reorganization occurred without either notice to the grievants or an opportunity for the grievants to provide input. The grievances assert that a unilateral reorganization of colleges in this manner violates Section 5.4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (on-line at http://w3.usf.edu/~uff/ratification/CBA0407.pdf), which reads: "On the part of the Administration, Academic Responsibility implies a commitment actively to foster within the University a climate favorable to responsible exercise of freedom, by adherence to principles of shared governance, which require that in the development of academic policies and processes, the professional judgments of employees are of primary importance." 
A resolution approved at a chapter meeting this spring opposed unilateral reorganizations that went beyond what was necessary for budget cuts, and the chapter notified both the administration and the Board of Trustees that reorganizations required more discussion and consultation and that the process of reorganization should be separated from the timeline for budget cuts. A letter to the provost this spring from the majority of chairs in Arts and Sciences expressed parallel concerns and made a similar request for more measured deliberations about reorganization.

Instead of responding to the concerns of CAS chairs and the chapter, the provost announced reorganization as a fait accompli June 12, without giving the entire faculty in affected colleges an opportunity to provide input on either the specifics or the general shape of the reorganization.

"Only a minority of faculty in the affected colleges thinks that both the process and the results of reorganization were appropriate," chapter president Sherman Dorn said.

"At least a substantial plurality of faculty thinks that either the process or the results are inappropriate."At a great university, faculty are at the heart of crucial decisions about the future. An administrator who acts as if he or she believes in benevolent despotism only increases the cynicism and erodes the morale of the faculty. In a time of severe budget cuts, the University of South Florida cannot afford either."--Sherman Dorn, chapter president.