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Marvin Zeman
Community Leader Forum

"The variety and complexity of the tasks performed by institutions of higher education produce an inescapable interdependence among governing board, administration, faculty, students, and others. The relationship calls for adequate communication among these components, and full opportunity for appropriate joint planning and effort."

This statement is the primary consideration for academic governance according to the American Association of University Professors. It describes what is generally known as shared governance.

SIUC faculty have become increasingly concerned by the lack of shared governance on this campus. Indeed, a primary reason faculty voted for collective bargaining in 1996 was to tangibly demonstrate their desire for a stronger voice in shared governance. Since then, the Faculty Association has worked tirelessly to increase faculty and student influence on the decisions that affect our University.

Last month, the Faculty Association surveyed all 677 tenured and tenure-track professors we represent. The responses from both members and non-members of the association were striking.

We asked what "shared governance" meant conceptually. Fully two-thirds (67 percent of the 307 respondents) said shared governance was when "faculty and administrators jointly determine policy."

Unfortunately, this is not how things work here in Carbondale. Most faculty members (55 percent) said that at SIUC, administrators make the policy. Only 10 percent said shared governance here worked optimally, and decisions are made jointly.

But just how important is shared governance to faculty at SIUC?

To answer this, we asked faculty to agree or disagree with the statement, "Shared governance is a critical issue to me as a faculty member at SIUC." Fully three-fourths of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.

The Faculty Association believes as the faculty believes - shared governance is critically important and woefully lacking at SIUC.

A few examples are illuminating. Last year the Faculty Senate spent considerable effort reviewing a restructuring plan in the College of Applied Arts and Sciences. The Senate voted not to discontinue one of the viable programs slated for elimination. Indeed, it voted no twice - first in a special meeting during intersession and then during the fall semester after the provost asked for another vote. The Senate voted against elimination 15-8. Nevertheless, the Board of Trustees eliminated the program, following the recommendation of the administration.

Another example involves the Judicial Review Board. The board reviews tenure and promotion grievances brought by faculty members. All of its members are full professors elected by the Faculty Senate. Since 2001, Chancellor Walter Wendler has rejected panel recommendations in six out of the nine cases favoring a faculty member.

Other examples of the administration's disregard for the faculty's legitimate role in governance include the actions of the provost, who has in several cases placed junior faculty on term contracts in order to hasten their departure from SIU before the faculty had an opportunity to consider their tenure and promotion cases.

The Faculty Association cannot and will not stand aside while faculty participation in University governance is marginalized and denied. We believe, and our survey of the faculty confirms, that our organization was first and foremost created by the faculty so that it can reclaim its rightful role in the governance of our University.

The will of the faculty is increasingly ignored by the administration. Legally binding contractual language seems to be the only thing that can force the administration to share governance.

We will fight for shared governance because it is what the faculty demand.

Marvin Zeman is the SIUC Faculty Association president. These views do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Egyptian.