The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Wendler a 'real problem' for Faculty Association

Professor Dettmar's letter ["Criticism of Wendler unwarranted," Dec. 10, pg. 7] does not, perhaps, contain falsehoods, but it may give the wrong impression of the situation of the Faculty Association vis a vis the administration.

He says, "As best I can tell, the Faculty Association has never trusted this or any other chancellor, and many faculty members find the Association's persistent 'us vs. them' rhetoric increasingly alienating."

I came here in 1985. There was a strong feeling of cooperation between faculty and administration. We were allies, and this benefited both teaching and research. By 1995, the situation had changed completely.

Faculty and administration were adversaries. This change was instigated primarily by the senior administrators.

The first vote to form a faculty union, in 1988, failed; such a body was not necessary. By the time the issue was raised again, in 1996, faculty were soundly in favor of unionizing. As one senior academic pointed out, (then President) Ted Sanders was "the best recruiter" the Faculty Association had.

Certainly the Faculty Association does not trust this chancellor, but what does Dettmar mean by "this or any other chancellor"? Since the Association was formed, SIUC has had only two chancellors, Argersinger (with whom the Association had no quarrels) and Wendler.

There were two interim chancellors, Beggs and Jackson, but they were seen, rightly or wrongly, as extensions of the President and Board of Trustees.

The administration has consistently worked against the Faculty Association, and by extension against the interests of the faculty and the students. This can be seen in many ways: the deliberate obstructiveness in contract negotiations, for which the University hired the best-known union-busting lawyers in Chicago, is one example. The "us vs. them" atmosphere comes from the administration, not the faculty or the Association. I do not think we can trust Chancellor Wendler. I do not object to his interviewing at Corpus Christi, but I am disturbed by the fact that he flew there three times for interviews.

I do not mind his applying to LSU, but I object to his later telling students that he had not applied anywhere. I admit his right to hold strong views against homosexuality, but I deplore what I believe was his blatant attempt to sway the Board of Trustees by expressing them publicly when he did.

I also think there are serious reasons to think that Wendler feels no real commitment to this campus. His snubbing of the Faculty Senate attests to this [EDITOR'S NOTE: Wendler said he plans to regularly attend Faculty Senate meetings again]. He does not communicate well with the Faculty Association - I might point out that, in other universities where I have served, the chancellor (or his equivalent) is a member of the Faculty Association and works with it, not against it.

I agree with Dettmar that the Faculty Association has many very real problems to tackle on campus. I wish he would realize that an untrustworthy, uncommitted chancellor is a very real problem.

W. D. Wallis
professor, mathematics

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