Colleagues,
This is an update on the Commonalities issue at Kutztown University.
In November 2005, local management received a draft of the
Commonalities document that would govern the academic portion of SAP.
It did not release the document to the faculty until October 2006,
almost a year later.
APSCUF-KU and the University Senate convened an
ad hoc committee to examine the Commonalities proposals and discovered,
after reviewing the document, that it would unilaterally revoke years
of standing academic policy that had been achieved through an
established governance process. The Commonalities document will also
have significant implications for faculty evaluations, work,
curriculum, and a host of other contractual issues. Portions of the
document, for example, place local curricular decisions directly in the
hands of the Chancellor’s office.
The ad hoc committee discussed these problems with Dr. James Moran, an
Associate Vice Chancellor from PASSHE, in November 2006. At the time,
Dr. Moran said that he saw no substantial problems in creating software
patches so that SAP/Commonalities could fit local policy. Dr. Moran
also made it clear that changes would have to be agreed upon no later
than 1 March 2007. APSCUF-KU pointed out that this was an extremely
short timeline given the complexity of the issues at hand. In public
meetings with the faculty, president Cevallos indicated that he would
consider funding alterations to SAP so that it would comply with local
policy.
In January 2007, APSCUF-KU submitted a detailed explanation of our
objections to the Commonalities document and included remedies for
identified problems. We offered these remedies and prepared to discuss
them with management in good faith. That document is attached.
On 27 February, two days before the deadline, during my normal monthly
meeting with Dr. Cevallos. I received the administration’s response to
our concerns and our proposal regarding Commonalities.
Simply put: Nothing.
The administration is going to use the unmodified commonalities
document. Local academic policy will not be considered. The ostensible
reason is that Kutztown University cannot afford to pay for customized
software.
Right now, we have a choice. We can resign
ourselves to the fact that PASSHE is pursuing centralization, that it
has greater resources and resolve, that it is unstoppable, and that we
can do absolutely nothing to alter its course. We can choose to hunker
down and hope for the best.
Or, we can fight.
Because we know this is wrong. Because we know that Kutztown is only
one of the first universities in the state system to have this happen.
Because what we do now will affect thousands of our colleagues and tens
of thousands of our students statewide.
APSCUF-KU is
going to fight. We are preparing a twenty-two part policy grievance
that will have implications for this campus and the state system as a
whole.
Governance is a key component of the current contract negotiations. I
want you all to understand that it is not something that exists in the
abstract. Centralization, the deliberate destruction of local
governance, faculty autonomy, and good faith bargaining, is here. What
is happening here will happen to you.
Time to make a pledge to the Solidarity Fund and prepare your finances.
Time to commit to the picket line.
Time to get ready.
Mike Gambone
Associate Professor of History
APSCUF-KU
Click here to view APSCUF-KU's Response and Suggested Remedies