Faculty Association

November 4, 2004



QUESTIONS FORWARDED PENDING RESPONSES

QUESTIONER:
DATE ASKED
FORWARDED TO:
Anonymous
 October 7, 2004

John Delaney
UNF President


QUESTION SYNOPSIS
Dear Dr. Solano:

I send the following questions to you as president of UNF's Faculty Association, and ask that you see to it they are presented by the association to the university's president and its provost.

Every department this fall learned its budget for the year upcoming, and as always there are many worthy projects, designed to support or enhance learning or teaching, unfunded. This is generally explained as a function of the university's limited resources.

On May 5, 2004, the university rented out the whole of the luxurious Ribault Club for the full day; in order to hold a "retreat" for more than 100 of the university's highest paid administrators. The administrators were given free breakfasts, free lunches, free souvenir coffee mugs, and -- at the end of the "retreat" -- a free boat tour.
May we know the total cost of this retreat?

A second all-day retreat has been announced for October 8. For this one, the university has secured "The Outpost in Ponte Vedra," advertised as "a rustic, low country-style lodge in a private, 100-acre forest preserve overlooking Lake Guana." Again, more than a hundred of the university's highest paid administrators will be provided free breakfasts and free lunches.
May we know the cost of this retreat, the second in six months?

It has been announced that "three or four" such retreats will take place this year.
May we know the total projected cost of these retreats?

As for the work accomplished at these retreats:
The administrators on May 5 spent the morning -- between the free breakfast and the free lunch -- listening to each other present informational reports.
May we know why these reports couldn't be distributed by e-mail, at zero cost?

The administrators on May 5 did spend time after lunch working in groups small and large, talking their way toward progress on various issues of real importance to the success of UNF.
May we know why these talks could not simply have taken place at the University Center, after the lunch hour?

The overall question is this:
May we know exactly how much money is being spent on the retreats, and -- especially given that resources genuinely are limited -- may we know how the university justifies the unnecessary cost of doing its business off campus, at luxurious private clubs?



WRITTEN RESPONSES

QUESTIONER:
DATE ASKED
WRITTEN RESPONSE:
Anonymous
 October 7, 2004

Cheryl Frochlich
UNF-UFF Chapter President


QUESTION SYNOPSIS
Many faculty were pleased to learn of the August 17 th agreement between the UFF and UNF Administration regarding promotion salary increases. However, this agreement will only affect a very small proportion of the faculty at this University. This agreement does nothing to aid junior faculty who are handling the lion's share of the teaching load, and who are conducting the greatest proportion of funded research on campus. Many of these faculty are struggling to make ends meet, yet the UNF-UFF spent over a month negotiating over promotion salary increases. When will the UFF recognize that they serve all faculty (not just those who attend UFF meetings)? And when will they recognize that every delay in faculty salary increases results in financial hardship for those whom they claim to represent?


QUESTIONER:
DATE ASKED
WRITTEN RESPONSE:
Anonymous
 October 7, 2004

Cheryl Frochlich
UNF-UFF Chapter President


QUESTION SYNOPSIS
I draw your attention to Article 10/7 of UFF Proposal #3 (dated June 14 th, 2004) that you sent to all faculty on August 27 th. Lines 20 through 28 of that article are reproduced below. This article deals with faculty performance evaluation and these lines specifically deal with the administration of University required student evaluations (so-called ISQs).

Would you be so kind as to explain why tenured faculty are required to administer such survey instruments only one semester out of the year, while non-tenured faculty must distribute them in every class each semester? The assumption seems to be that the teaching performance of tenured faculty does not need the same close scrutiny as that of non-tenured faculty. This is an unwarranted assumption and is both offensive and inequitable to junior faculty.

The primary mission of this institution is education. As such, we should require the same high standards of all faculty, regardless of rank or tenure. And we should encourage the University to require equal assessment of all faculty engaged in teaching. Will the UFF support equitable teaching assessment of all faculty at this University?

(d)
   University Required Student Evaluations.
   
(1)
   Non-tenured faculty shall distribute the approved student survey instrument in every semester for every class except in the case of 10.2(d)(3) below.
(2)
   Tenured faculty shall only be required to distribute the approved student survey instrument one semester during each evaluation period. The faculty member shall choose which semester to distribute the surveys.
(3)
   If there are ten (10) or fewer students in a course, the faculty member is not required to distribute the student survey instrument in that course and shall not be disadvantaged for not having done so.




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Modified: October 22, 2004