Re: Update on LO letter, etc

[Marjorie Griffin Cohen <mcohen@sfu.ca>]

This makes sense.  It would be good if potential executive directors of SFUFA would do this too.

marjorie


Marjorie Griffin Cohen
Professor, Political Science/GSWS
Simon Fraser University

On 2013-03-04, at 1:48 PM, George Kirczenow wrote:

> 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
>>> 
>> 
>