My compliments to Kathleen Ronayne and Beckie Strum for investigating and writing about the complex and sometimes contentious relationship between the administration and faculty here at Syracuse University.  

There is one small thing I am compelled to clarify, however, because I was directly involved in it: rewriting the sections in the faculty manual concerning the university’s tenure policy and procedures. The article includes this initiative as a ‘fait accompli,’ suggesting it was dictated by and directed by the administration. It is disturbing that some faculty believe this because nothing could be further from the truth.  

For 10 of the last 15 years, I served as chair of the Senate Academic Affairs Committee. About four years ago, Vice Chancellor Eric Spina and Associate Provost Kal Alston, who serve as ex officio members, asked our committee to consider editing the manual to better describe what tenure is, what is required to achieve it, what the roles and responsibilities are of the university, schools and colleges, tenure committees, candidates, outside reviewers and so forth. The faculty manual at the time they asked for this was, frankly, a mess.  If a new hire wanted to find out about the university’s tenure policy and procedures, he or she would never find out by reading the manual.

The Academic Affairs Committee is tasked with precisely this kind of work. It has 15 members, representing every school and college on campus, as well as the library and other units. What the vice chancellor asked for was clarity and structure, but he did not instruct us what to write.

Several things he wanted were rejected by the committee. Other things we wholeheartedly agreed with. It was shared governance. Our goal was to ensure the practices and traditions of every stakeholder were honored and represented. We invited representatives from various schools and colleges to tell us about their particular needs, and they did. Ample time was given to faculty throughout the university to comment on our various drafts, and some of them did.

We spent more than a year writing, rewriting, editing and voting on every sentence. I am very proud of the work that, that committee produced and honored to have worked with the members of that committee. The senate approved our new manual unanimously. It is a shame that it was characterized as it was in the article.

Sincerely,
Larry Elin
Associate professor of television, radio and film 

Published on April 29, 2012 at 12:00 pm