A New Start

The approaching end of an academic year always feels hectic. Committee work usually lags behind as faculty become far more concerned with final projects, papers, and exams. The rhythms of semesters, however, frequently do not correspond to the rhythms of other influences determining the conditions of faculty life.

While I am ending my time as Chair-Elect in June and starting as Chair July 1, that transition feels well underway. And it matches two other important transitions in the university system that will shape the future of the UNC system.

1. President Erskine Bowles will step down once the Board of Governors determines his successor. The process now underway with the work of the Leadership Statement Committee started about a month ago and will conclude the first week in May. This group spent the last several weeks soliciting input from a variety of constituencies -- the public, faculty, staff, Chancellors, etc. -- to identify the central characteristics needed at this time in a leader. The report drafts will come next and then a final document will emerge. In late spring, the process of advertising the position, screening candidates, interviewing, and hiring begins.

Facultyoften do not understand how this position shapes their reality. But this person will play a fundamental role in determining how to represent the university to the legislature in order to obtain funding. During the current budget crisis, acquiring resources could not be more crucial. Additionally, this person shapes academic policies on key issues such as tenure, promotion, program development, redress procedures, and the like. Most centrally, the individual holding this position sets a tone. Shared governance and the encouragement for such cannot happen effectively locally if it does not happen at the top. Academic freedom must be respected here if campuses are to make it a priority.

Right now, faculty need to be involved and active participants in giving voice to what qualities we expect the Board of Governors to seek out in the next President. When the new President comes in, we must also stress our goals directly and make our expectations clear. We are partners in higher education and over 15,000 strong.

2. The General Assembly is about to begin its new session. Their work will be done before school begins again in the fall. As you may have read, budget projections anticipate a shortfall in revenue. Our schools have been asked to plan for such and have done so. We know, however, that cuts now challenge our ability to put forward the best possible education for our students. Class sizes and teaching loads have increased. Departments cannot always offer the courses students need to complete their degree requirements. Labs have been rendered practically non-functional on many campuses due to no money for equipment and supplies. Research is stymied here and by lack of travel funding.

We also know that we have stagnant salaries, lost money last year to furlough days, endured rising costs in healthcare for less benefits, and have seen our retirement funds shrink.

If the legislators do not hear from us, they cannot understand what is happening. We need to know our local representatives and to maintain regular contact with them so that they can hear what is happening in our classrooms and what further cutbacks will mean to our students and thus to the state of North Carolina.

This blog will be one way for faculty to keep up on key issues. I will blog at least once per week with updates on events, votes, actions, and information every informed faculty member should know.

Here, for instance, is the March 2010 General Fund Revenue Report & Economic Outlook:

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/fiscalresearch/generalfund_outlook/generalfund_outlook_pdfs/2010%20Outlooks/General_Fund_Revenue_Outlook_2010_03_11_March.pdf

And you can always let me know what you want to hear.

Thanks,

Sandie