Letter from Professor Frank Stahl 23 December 1999
The following email correspondence is posted at the request of the senders.
The letter from Professor Tublitz forwarding the letter from Professor
Stahl has been edited slightly. The letter from Professor Stahl deals with
faculty compensation and shared governance.
To: gilkey@darkwing.uoregon.edu
From
tublitz@uoneuro.uoregon.edu
Thu Dec 23 16:32:17 1999
Subject: Stahl letter
Dear Peter;
I have received this letter from Prof. Stahl
in Biology who would like to have his letter forwarded to all Senators.
Perhaps it would be useful to post it on the Senate website in addition
to sending to electronically. Thanks Nathan
To: tublitz@uoneuro.uoregon.edu
From:
Frank Stahl fstahl@morel.uoregon.edu
Thu,
23 Dec 1999 16:16:59
Dear Senator Tublitz:
Early this week, I sent the following letter
to the President. Perhaps the Senators would be interested. Can you forward
it to them, either electronically or hard copy?
Thank you, Frank
Dear Dave,
I would like to share with you a concern regarding
the future of our University. In the past, our Faculty has eschewed unionization.
In addition to the obvious negative consequences of unionization, one can
identify a second, more cogent factor that contributed to this stand: the
Faculty felt allied with the Administration in common goals, and unionization
was likely to create an undesirable, adversarial atmosphere. The feeling
of alliance stemmed from two sources, neither of which appear to apply
now.
-
(1) Salary levels were set to a great degree by off campus decisions of
the State Board and/or the Legislature. The U of O Administration was viewed
as an ally in efforts to keep these salary levels competitive.
-
(2) The Faculty felt respected by successive Administrations that seemed
to value the concept of shared governance.
Regarding point (1). With the advent of greater
local control on Oregon campuses, the determination of salary levels is
now largely in the hands of the local Administration (or appears to be).
The combination of that change with the concept that the University must
be run "as a business" implies that the "fault" for low salaries now lies
squarely with the U of O President/Provost. In the eyes of Faculty, there
is no longer a reason to cut the Administration any slack on the matter
of salaries.
Regarding point (2). With the City now out
of the Research Park business, the Administration can no longer get away
with the excuse that "the City won't stand for it" when it comes to policy
decisions regarding the Park. Thus, the Faculty can no longer understand
why the Provost's office feels it necessary to disregard the clear vote
of the University and Student Senates regarding preservation of the riverfront
for green space. This position was aggravated at the recent Senate meeting
by Tom Dyke's referral to the major operations in the Park as "research-based
industries," apparently endorsing the long obvious fact that the best we
can hope for is a Riverfront Industrial Park. Furthermore, Tom's claims
of success on the grounds that the Park is doing as well as average was
an insult to the Faculty, who know that the "average" state of University-related
research parks is dismal.
I urge you to address the matters outlined above. I think
the Faculty could abide low salaries a little longer (if you make it clear
why you cannot act on that matter now), but not if they continue to feel
disrespected.
Respectfully, Frank
Franklin W. Stahl American Cancer Society Research Professor of Molecular
Biology Institute of Molecular Biology University of Oregon Eugene, OR,
USA 97403-1229 Tel: 541-346-6096 Fax: 541-346-5891 and Professor
of Biology Institute of Neuroscience University of Oregon Eugene OR 97403
Phone: 1-541-346-4510 FAX: 1-541-346-4548
Message ends.
Web page spun on 23 December 1999
by
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at the
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Eugene OR 97403-1222, U.S.A. Phone 1-541-346-4717 Email:peter.gilkey.cc.67@aya.yale.edu
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