This week, our faculty union went on strike to protect the quality of our institutions. In particular, the Chancellor's office was attacking adjunct faculty (trying to put them at a lower pay scale and raise the percent of adjuncts we should hire) and tenure (they were trying to be able to retrench without regard to seniority and to move us between institutions without discussion with the receiving institution).
Engineers don't strike, so I really had no context for how to deal with this. However, I agreed with the principles the union was fighting for and I trust my colleagues who lead the union. We were on strike for three days and it was eye opening.
I learned that I have colleagues across this institution that I have never met and we agree on so many things. I knew they were there, but they weren't really real to me before this. I have a new interdisciplinary connection to this institution that I will work to remember.
I learned that our students are INCREDIBLE! They backed us by bringing us food (a bbq with burgers and dogs for everyone and more donuts, cookies and coffee than we could consume). They backed us by marching with us. They backed us in they way they spoke to the media, the Chancellor, and the Governor. They backed me personally with private messages of support, too.
I learned that, together, we can change the tone of this institution. When Dr. Cedia was our president, he would talk about the "Ship Family" and everyone knew exactly what he meant. We stood together against the pressures from the state and took care of each other when things were difficult. Our students clearly understand "Ship Family" even though Dr. Cedia is gone and our current administration doesn't seem to really embrace that term. Having been reminded, I don't believe our faculty will let go of that very soon. The student are our allies and they took care of us as much as we try to take care of them.
I hope that the institution recovers quickly and that we can move forward with a renewed commitment to Ship Family.
I disagree with your statement that the current administration doesn't embrace the term "Ship Family". It is mentioned in every meeting I attend. Maybe the Ruud administration did not understand nor embrace the family, but Jody and his team surely do.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your statement that the current administration doesn't embrace the term "Ship Family". It is mentioned in every meeting I attend. Maybe the Ruud administration did not understand nor embrace the family, but Jody and his team surely do.
ReplyDeleteI did not intend my comment to point at any individual administrator, and I hope you are right that what I am feeling is a remnant of the prior administration. It feels like there are have a number of decisions where faculty have not been included in the discussion until after the decision is complete. Perhaps that is a function of administration or a function of how faculty have reacted to things in the past. I don't know. I just intend to embrace not only the words "Ship Family" but to try to carry it forward in my interactions with all of my colleagues.
DeleteDeeds speak louder than words. No matter how many times the current Administration uses the phrase 'Ship family', until there is meaningful action behind it, it is no more than empty rhetoric or lip service to what the institution once was.
ReplyDelete