College of Education faculty vote derails restructuring

A plan to consolidate the College of Education's eight schools into four has been put on hold as administrators regroup to find out why faculty voted overwhelmingly against it, union officials said. Keith Hillkirk, dean of the College of Education, who was leading the University's effort to streamline the college, said during a February interview that the college will begin a series of meetings with the affected faculty in the future.

In recent weeks, Hillkirk has interviewed with the University of Missouri in Columbia for a dean's position in its College of Education, University of Missouri officials say. Hillkirk has been out of his office, at conferences and other events and was unable to be reached for comment. He did not return calls for comment left at his home before spring break. Some faculty members, who wanted to remain anonymous for job security purposes, said the dean's job search further complicated the restructuring process. Hillkirk's wife would not comment on her husband's interview.

Provost John Dunn said Tuesday he could not comment on whether Hillkirk was planning on leaving the University, but he said it did not surprise him the University was producing talented people who were sought after by other universities. Dunn said Hillkirk has served effectively as dean of the college. Dunn said despite Hillkirk's interview, administrators would not stop its conversations with the faculty over the advisory vote against the restructuring. Dunn said he will be meeting with administrators in the college next week. "The budget situation is not improving," Dunn said. "And we are trying to improve efficiencies while maintaining quality programs."

The restructuring plan proposed after the state's budgetary crisis of 2001 prompted many schools across the campus to reevaluate how they operate. The Budget and Planning Task Force released recommendations in the summer of 2003, which highlighted the need for restructuring colleges across campus. Dunn asked administrators in some colleges to factor in proposed cuts for coming years. Administrators had planned to combat a relatively weak research infrastructure, as described in a 2004 consultant report, by adding more faculty to produce more research.

Laura Dreuth Zeman, associate professor in the School of Social Work, said the dean's probable departure could be a good thing for the college. Zeman said the college has suffered from a rapid turnover rate. In the School of Social Work alone, there have been different chairs in the past seven years, she said. "It's both good and bad," Zeman said. "It's good as in we needed leadership change because there have been a lot of concerns about the lack of direction." Zeman sat on the dean's evaluation committee last year. Although the committee has a policy not to speak about or reveal the contents of their discussions, Zeman said there was a sense by the members that there was a failure to follow through on decisions.

The vote, held by secret ballot at the end of last year, stalled the restructuring process, and the dean will now have to go directly to the faculty to understand why the departments voted the way they did. Secrecy has clouded much of the information surrounding the vote because of both the faculty's reluctance to speak about the way they voted and the administration's determination to get the restructuring back on track, some faculty members said. Faculty members were also reluctant to comment on the vote itself. According to the Faculty Association, the represented faculty voted 65 to 12 against the plan. In 2003, the college began formulating the groundwork for the initial steps toward the restructuring process. But faculty members who insisted on remaining anonymous said the vote was closer to 70 to 5 against the restructuring process.

Hillkirk, who proposed the reformation plan, said the faculty members were confused over the building of a proposed Center for Rural Schools and Communities, which was approved by the Graduate Council in December. Hillkirk said in the coming weeks he would be setting up meetings with faculty over this issue. Faculty Association President Marvin Zeman said the faculty do not see the benefit of consolidation. He said the administration has been adamant in its proposal for restructuring but has not provided a clear picture of its reasoning behind the plan. "The case was not made," Zeman said. "I hope they do not force it down the throats of the faculty." T.F. Riggar, a professor in The Rehabilitation Institute and the union representative for his academic unit, said he saw no benefit in merging. Riggar said the current structure of the academic units is strong.

He said merging his department that is world-renowned for its research would be foolish. The institute is the only SIUC program that is nationally ranked. Last year, U.S. News and World Report ranked the program third in the United States. "Restructuring would mean the elimination of the capital 'T' in The Rehabilitation Institute's name," Riggar said. "The institute is internationally known - if you want to improve on that, show me how." The college planned to finish the restructuring process by the fall of 2005. Hillkirk said the restructuring plan would have boosted the college's ability to secure grants for research. He said restructuring within the college first came about after faculty submitted a list of recommendations to him.

The plans called for The Rehabilitation Institute to merge with the Education Psychology and Special Education departments. It also called for the Physical Education Department to combine with Health Education and Recreation programs and the School of Social Work. The Curriculum and Instruction department would have combined with both the Education Administration and Higher Education departments. The only school left without a merger would be the Department of Work Force education and development. Hillkirk said the faculty recommendations included reducing the number of administrators in the departments. Central administration has strongly endorsed the college's plans. Zeman said the driving force behind the administration's case for restructuring was a $250,000 saving in salaries. He said when the colleges would have consolidated, each department would lose one administrator and an administrator's salary.

But, Zeman said, losing four administrators could not save the college the expected $250,000. Instead, he said the college was playing with its numbers by shifting four administrators' salaries to faculty lines. Hillkirk said the college would save money by turning administrator contracts, which are typically 12-month contracts, into faculty contracts. He said faculty contracts generally last nine months. Riggar said the vote represents what the faculty ultimately would like to concern themselves with - teaching. "I'm concerned with more important things," Riggar said.