Members' UPDATE November 2002

From the Chapter President:

Dear IUB AAUP Members,

Quoting from Myrtle Scott’s contribution to the recently published AAUP Fall Report, “The most basic purpose, aim, or mission of a university is the production of knowledge.  The people who produce that knowledge are faculty.  The Dean of the Faculties is the keeper of that flame.”  We are about to lose the position of Dean of the Faculties (DoF) here at IU Bloomington.  I would be pleased if you would read the AAUP Fall Report carefully and give your thoughts to your BFC representative or to your AAUP executive committee listed members below.

A Shift Away from Our Core Mission:The present administrative structure on the Bloomington Campus supports the academic mission of the university both through care for and attention to the quality of its faculty (Dean of the Faculties) and through it vision for an strong, integrated academic program and the budget to sustain it (Chancellor).  Under the reorganization proposed by Chancellor Brehm, we lose the Dean of the Faculties and gain a Provost. The score: two for program and budget and zero for the faculty.  Though the details are yet to be worked out, we know that campus budget would be central to the Provost’s duties.  Indeed, there must be sufficient administration to handle the campus budget.  In this case, however, we are witnessing a shift from a balanced approach to one of principal concern for program and budget.

Creating Knowledge vs. Creating Budget:  In his recent statement to the Faculty Affairs Committee of the BFC, Henry Remak (oldest teaching fossil) reflects on the establishment of the office of Dean of the Faculties in 1940 by Herman Wells. “University administrators have been increasingly preoccupied by the organizational, budgetary, and external functions of their positions.  Wells created this office also to give individual faculty and collective faculty groups the opportunity for direct, informal access to an intellectually oriented dean/colleague…” In spite of the fact that the DoF does not determine academic budget, it is my view that the office has enormous impact on the mission of the university, by assuring a strong faculty who create and disseminate the new knowledge.

Shared Faculty Governance and the Dean of the Faculties:  IU is well known among research universities for the responsiveness of the institution to the strong voice of the faculty in the governance of the university.  The office of the DoF has been a major part of this responsiveness of the institution.  Through its attention paid to legislation passed by the Bloomington Faculty Council, for example, the DoF has been a major part of this responsiveness of the institution.  In the new scheme it is not clear how BFC legislation will be enforced.

Faculty advocacy and the Dean of the Faculties:   As AAUP members we are keenly aware that faculty support, advocacy, and career development does not exist at all universities.  IU is special.  The same DoF office that sustains high faculty standards through promotion and tenure also supports the faculty in achieving these career goals. In the Provost scheme, the functions of faculty development and advocacy are separated from tenure and promotion and their effectiveness likely diminished.

A Plan:  It is my view that a fuller consultation with the faculty, their governing bodies, and with the deans of the campus will result in a well-conceived plan of reorganization.  I have enormous faith in the wisdom of the faculty.  Collectively, they are a marvelous group and have much to contribute.  At the moment relatively few members of the faculty are aware of the details of the proposed reorganization and have not contributed to its formation.  Our present campus system, though not ideal, is adequate and will keep us on track until the details of the Chancellor’s present plan are fully worked out and the faculty has full opportunity to respond.

Best from Physics,
Ben Brabson

IUB Chapter Executive Committee:

Joyce Alexander                  Education                              joalexan

Ben Brabson, Pres.              Physics                                  brabson 

Julie Bobay, Treas.              Library                                   bobay

Ann Bristow                        Library                                   bristow

Robert Eno                         East Asian                              eno

Ann Gellis                           Law                                       gellis

Laura Ginger**                   Business Law                         ginger

Ed Greenebaum**              Law                                       greeneba

Michael Grossberg**          History                                  grossber

Audrey Levasseur               English                                   levasseu

Joss Marsh                         English                                   jomarsh 

Ted Miller, Vice Pres.         SPEA                                    millert

Myrtle Scott                       Education                               scott

** Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure

           AAUP: The IUB FALL MEETING

A panel on: “9/11, ACADEMIC FREEDOM and IUB”

         Sylvia Turchyn, Libraries

         Mike Leonard,   Bloomington Herald Times

         Amy Reynolds,   Journalism

November 13, Wednesday

    4:00 pm – 4:30 p.m. –  Wine and cheese and talk
 4:30 pm - 5:30 p.m. – “9/11, Academic Freedom and IUB”

University Club (upstairs) Indiana Memorial Union