Re: Update on LO letter, etc

[George Kirczenow <kirczeno@sfu.ca>]

Just to clarify my previous email:

The senior administrators on Senate did vote as a block with the administration when
I was on Senate. I did not keep track of what any department chairs on Senate 
did. On the other hand, any department chair that is considering moving further up
the administrative ladder (and this is not uncommon) has an apparent conflict of interest 
when acting as a "faculty" member of either Senate or BoG. 
This applies also to Directors and Presidents of the SFUFA.
 
It seems to me that some guidelines are needed regarding declaring any such intentions 
when faculty (whether department chairs or not) stand for election to Senate, BoG or SFUFA positions.
For example candidates for such positions could make the declaration "I will not seek and 
I will not accept a (more) senior (non-SFUFA) position in the SFU administration during the 
next xxx years." The number xxx of years in this declaration could be chosen by the candidate.

Cheers,
George 

On Mar 4, 2013, at 12:32 PM, "Betty Schellenberg" <schellen@sfu.ca> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
>  
> I second Bruce’s comments. I would add that I find problematic the implication that should a current or past department chair vote in support of a proposal by a university administrator, this must be a demonstration of block voting rather than a considered decision on the part of that individual.
>  
> Best wishes,
> Betty Schellenberg
>  
> Betty A. Schellenberg
> Professor and Chair
> Department of English
> Simon Fraser University
> Burnaby BC  Canada
> V5A 1S6
> ph:  778-782-3121
> fax: 778-782-5737
>  
> From: Bruce Brandhorst [mailto:brandhor@sfu.ca] 
> Sent: March 4, 2013 11:57 AM
> To: George Kirczenow
> Cc: loa-signers@sfu.ca; academic-discussion@sfu.ca; Ronda Arab
> Subject: Re: Update on LO letter, etc
>  
> Hi George,
>  
> As a former dept chair and current Senator, I emphatically disgree that chairs in Senate vote as a block in line with higher level administrators (Deans and VPs).   I am not sure about Associate Deans.  My impression is that Deans and VPs do indeed vote as a block in Senate on proposals from the higher administration.
>  
> Bruce Brandhorst, MBB
> 
> From: "George Kirczenow" <kirczeno@sfu.ca>
> To: "Ronda Arab" <ronda_arab@sfu.ca>
> Cc: loa-signers@sfu.ca, academic-discussion@sfu.ca
> Sent: Monday, March 4, 2013 10:24:25 AM
> Subject: Re: Update on LO letter, etc
> 
> According to their statements both appear to be administrators. One of them is an 
> associate dean, the other a department chair. Have I got this right? I don't know 
> about the BoG but when I was on Senate the administrators on Senate voted as a block for 
> whatever the administration proposed.
> 
> Cheers,
> George
> 
>  
> On Mar 4, 2013, at 8:20 AM, Ronda Arab <ronda_arab@sfu.ca> wrote:
> 
> > Dear Colleagues,
> > 
> > Does anyone know anything about the two candidates we are being asked to vote on for Board of Governors, Nicolas Schmitt and Peter Ruben? I am, of course, interested in their views on Learning Outcomes and accreditation. I can't get a sense from their statements. 
> > 
> > Best,
> > Ronda
> > 
> > 
> > Ronda Arab
> > Associate Professor of English
> > Simon Fraser University
> > 8888 University Drive
> > Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6
> >
>