9:00 p.m.| Residents of the two dorm are arriving at the MPR. Hill and Roellke are present.

9:05| Roellke and Hill are waiting for students to finish dinner provided by the Dean of the College Division.

9:08| Hill introduces herself and Roellke. Hill: “It seems remarkably normal this year.” Roellke apologizes for missing the cancellation of a previously-scheduled Town Hall meeting. Roellke introduces his and Hill’s student interns.

9:10| Roellke “opens up the conversation for questions.”

9:11| Hill answers a question posed by Joesselyn House President Daniel Flynn ’13 about her summer. Hill mentioned that she travelled across the country meeting alumnae/i and other friends of the College. Roellke joked that he “did no work for the College.” He continued to talk about visiting sports games and spending time with his family.

9:15| Cory Epstein’13 asks Roellke about the banning of a high-alcohol-beverage “Four Loko.” Roellke said that the banning of a substance must go through the College’s joint-governance system. The ban, if one were to be placed, would come through students as well as the administration; more specifically, the item has been placed on the agenda of the Committee on College Life.

9:18| Roellke and Hill discuss the College’s plans for creating a space for “alternative” programming, one in which students who do not want to participate in activities that involve the consumption of alcohol can spend Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Roellke says that he is looking for ways to attract students to such a space.

9:22| Sophomore Paul Weinger asks Roellke about keeping Baldwin medical services open during the weekends. Roellke says that such plans are not going to be addressed in the near future. He qualifies that by saying that he prefers that students spend time at a professional hospital if they are in need of care.

9:24| Louise Dufresne ’13 asks Hill what she thinks about the budget cuts that the College has carried out, and “where [she] sees Vassar 5 years from now.” Hill said that there is a lot of uncertainty in the future, and that an upwards trend in the College’s finances is contingent on the improving health of the economy. “We are fairly hopeful that we’ll get it right, economically,” Hill commented. Roellke said that, at least in the Dean of the College Division, the “economic downturn was an opportunity” for the Division to rethink its structure and streamline to create certain natural efficiencies that would not have  been realized under normal economic conditions.

9:31| Roellke and Hill are asked about the “future of campus dining,” and the lack of “quality and quantity” thereof. Roellke says that “we are still working out the kinks” in Campus Dining. Roellke stresses his commitment to improving the quality of Campus Dining along with the Food Committee. “We’re on it,” concluded Roellke. Roellke also commented that the College is most likely going to renew its five-year contract with Aramark, Vassar’s catering partner.

9:40| Epstein asks Hill what the one thing she would like people on tours at Vassar to know about the institution. Hill said that “talking about the quality of the intellectual activity at Vassar” is a very important element of the Vassar experience to share with those on tour.

9:42| Davison House President Michael Thottam ’12 asks Roellke about certain unused spaces on campus. Roellke said that there will be intermittent use of such spaces as programming allows. He continued to say that a number of options are being revisited, but most changes are dependent on the economic climate the College will find itself in the future.

9:46| Flynn asks Roellke and Hill how the students will be impacted by the College’s Sesquicentennial. Hill said the College has tried to structure the “sesquibrations” around the already-existing programming. Co-Chair of the Sesquicentennial Student Advisory Committee and Vassar Student Association Vice President for Activities Tanay Tatum ’12 informs the gathering about the events that are planned for the upcoming calendar year. For more details, see the Miscellany News article on the topic.

9:55| An audience member commented on the fact that Vassar’s Career Development Office  (CDO) “is lagging.” To this, Hill informed the gathering that the College is in conversation with alumnae/i about increasing their bond with current students. Roellke commended the CDO and said that, during his time at Vassar, he has seen the CDO carry out some “impressive” programming. “I hear you, and I think that there is potential [for improvement],” said Roellke, optimistic about the future of the Office based on current efforts.

10:01| As there were no more questions, Hill thanked everyone for attending and participating in the meeting.

7:01 | Executive Report from Activities: Activities: “We have some organization certifications looming on the horizon. Next week you will see the Gentlemen’s Sandwich Club and the Listening Center among others.” Activities also announces that Director of Campus Activities Terry Quinn and Associate Dean of the College Raymon Parker will now be intermittently sitting in on VSA Activities Committee Meetings to “check in on how the VSA is spending our student activities fee,” says Activities.

Fund Applications:

7:10 | Finance moves to allocate $5000 from Council Discretionary to the Community Shuttle. According to Operations, student Shuttle usage has gone up by about 12 percent since last semester.

7:12 | Motion passes unanimously.

7:44 | Finance moves to allocate $9000 from the Speakers & Lectures Fund to the Black Students Union (BSU). If granted the money, the BSU will host the Black Conference on April 23, which will feature music and lecturers and will focus mostly on black sexuality and black women, explains a representative from the BSU. Motion passes unanimously.

7:48 | Finance moves to allocate $2500 from the Conference Fund to the African Students Union. Motion passes unanimously.

7:49 | Finance moves to allocate $800 from the Conference Fund to the Polo Team. A representative from the team explains that the money would go toward the entry fee for the regional Polo competition, for which the Vassar team qualified following recent victories over Yale and Harvard Universities. Motion passes unanimously.

Open Discussion:

8:02 |  2011 asks Academics about the recent cancellation of Vassar’s five summer study abroad programs, explaining that he agreed strongly with the Miscellany News 1.28.10 Staff Editorial, saying that administrators should have sent an all-campus e-mail informing the entire community of this decision. Academics explains that as she understands it, the senior officers involved in making the decision “wanted department chairs to be the ones to inform their students about it.”

8:12 | Noyes: “The College seems to insist that the only people who care about a department are the majors within that department. We go to a liberal arts college, and the point is that everyone wants to explore different departments. Just because I’m not taking a class in the Italian Department doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the Italian Department … this is not the first time this has happened.”

8:18 | Strong, who is a student representative on the Committee on Curricular Policies (CCP), expressed frustration that she did not know about the cancellation earlier and that the decision did not go through CCP, as nearly all academic-based decisions typically do.

8:23 | President: “I do think that it’s really important that this Council be in support of experiential learning. Perhaps in the coming weeks we can draft a resolution in support of this.”

8:32 | Council adjourned.

]]> http://blogs.miscellanynews.com/newsroom/2010/01/31/live-blogging-from-the-jan-31-vsa-council-meeting/feed/ 0 http://blogs.miscellanynews.com/newsroom/2009/12/15/dean-of-the-faculty-sends-update-on-curriculum-changes/ http://blogs.miscellanynews.com/newsroom/2009/12/15/dean-of-the-faculty-sends-update-on-curriculum-changes/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2009 21:09:30 +0000 Molly Turpin, Editor in Chief http://blogs.miscellanynews.com/newsroom/?p=738 At 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 15, Dean of the Faculty Jon Chenette sent an all-campus e-mail with an update on changes to the 2010-2011 curriculum. According to Chenette, fewer than 14 current faculty contracts will not be renewed as his Nov. 15 e-mail on the curriculum estimated, and the curriculum for next year will likely be the same size or slightly larger than this year’s curriculum. 

“The larger-than-expected curriculum for 2010-11 results from two factors,” wrote Chenette, “restoration of courses to the curriculum through a reduction in course releases associated with department, program, committee, and administrative service; and an unexpectedly low number of faculty leaves compared to this year.”

According to Chenette, some departments were able to revise their staffing plans after initial responses from the Office of the Dean of the Faculty. “The smaller number of non-renewed faculty contracts results from specific decisions departments are making within the parameters outlined in response to staffing requests,” he wrote. “Some of these decisions are still pending, as departments continue to plan for next year.”

Chenette will share more specific information about the curriculum with faculty at the faculty meeting on Dec. 16 and will share information with students at an information session on Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. in Rockefeller Hall 200 as well as in information sessions planned for next semester. In the e-mail, he also encouraged students to contact the administrative assistants of departments and programs for more up-t0-date and particular information about course offerings.

The full text of the e-mail is below:

December 15, 2009

I write with an update on the status of planning for our academic offerings in 2010-11. Since early October, when departments and programs submitted staffing plan requests, my office has worked carefully with chairs and directors to develop balanced curricula that meet students’ needs for variety and depth in their studies. At the same time, we have tried to preserve for faculty the excitement of teaching in their current areas of research and creative interest as well as the energizing challenge of working with students at every level of the curriculum.

As our planning for 2010-11 proceeds, we improve our understanding of next year’s curriculum and staffing. We are now able to project that next year’s curriculum is likely to be about the same size or perhaps even slightly larger than this year, and the number of non-renewed faculty contracts is likely to be slightly smaller than the previous estimate of 14 that I provided in a campus email last month.

The larger-than-expected curriculum for 2010-11 results from two factors: restoration of courses to the curriculum through a reduction in course releases associated with department, program, committee, and administrative service; and an unexpectedly low number of faculty leaves compared to this year.

The smaller number of non-renewed faculty contracts results from specific decisions departments are making within the parameters outlined in response to staffing requests. Some of these decisions are still pending, as departments continue to plan for next year.

As we limit the number of replacement faculty, year-to-year fluctuations in faculty leaves can have a large impact on the size of some department curricula. In order to even out these fluctuations as much as possible, the staffing plan process this year included multi-year leave plans for each department.

Information on the number of course sections offered by each department and program next year compared to recent years will be shared at the December 16 faculty meeting, on the faculty Moodle site, and for students and others who attend information sessions this Thursday, December 17 (4 p.m., Rocky 200) or early next semester. To find out which specific courses are likely to be offered next year, contact departments or programs directly through their administrative assistants, who will have the latest information or can obtain it for you.

We have managed to achieve substantial savings in our projected faculty salary budget for 2010-11 while maintaining a varied curriculum that will continue to serve our students’ interests and needs effectively. Thanks to all whose input has contributed to our planning.

Best wishes for a restorative and fruitful winter break,

Jon Chenette
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Music

“That’s basically what they said last year,” said Robyn Smigel ’12, who was also involved in a hunger strike last spring which ended in the creation of the Hardship Fund and an economy website after negotiations with senior officers. “Based on our experiences in the past, things were called impossible until we suggested alternative solutions. That’s basically how the Hardship Fund started.”

Smigel explained that she and the other students involved in the strike still hope that the 13 positions eliminated this September will be reinstated or that those who have had their positions eliminated will be be given different College “jobs of equal pay,” she said.

The four students present during the Miscellany interview—Cohen, Smigel, Royce Drake ’10 and Brian Hioe ’13—explained that though they were all originally involved in the Campus Solidarity Working Group, they consider themselves and their actions to be separate from those of the Working Group. “We definitely still support [the Working Group],” said Smigel.

“We think there is space on campus for different kinds of organizing,” added Cohen. “[The Working Group] does a lot of community building—that’s a great thing to have,” she said.

According to Sarah Cohen ’11—not participating in the strike, but present to support it—the senior officers have been in contact with the students since the demonstration began on Tuesday at midnight. “We’ve e-mailed back and forth a couple of times,” she said.

Though no formal meeting between the senior officers and the strikers has yet been established or scheduled, Roellke explained that this morning, he, Dean of the Facutly Jonathan Chenette and Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger stopped by the lobby of Main to talk with the students. “We went to see if they were okay and to indicate to them that their actions do impact the broader community, whether they think they do or not,” said Roellke.

In addition, Smigel said that earlier today her parents were contacted by Dean of Students D.B. Brown. “My parents called me and they had got the impression somehow that disciplinary action may be coming our way. No one had said that directly to us,” she said. According to Roellke, however, the students were contacted by Brown in what he called “a standard call,” “made whenever there is a health or safety concern regarding a Vassar student.” ”D.B. Brown was never given any instruction to speak about disciplinary action,” said Roellke.

7:03 | Report from the Committee on Curricular Policies (CCP) from Academics and Strong: Academics explains that the Committee has been researching peer institutions that administer their Course Evaluation Questionnaires (CEQs) online. The College has been exploring this option with the hope  that students would complete the CEQs more thoughtfully at their leisure at home, rather than in the last or second to last day of class. Academics also said that she is on the sub-committee that is looking into team teaching. This year, there are a minimum of 34 team-taught classes; last year there were 42 and the year beforethere were 52. ”The decrease already happened last year,” says Academics.

7:12 | Academics introduces a memorandum which, she explains, attempts to “walk the line between endorsing the sentiment presented in [the letter written by Judy Nichols] last week,” and also clarify inaccuracies, says Academics in reference to the letter that was drafted by Adjunct Associate Professor of English Judy Nichols and presented to the Council on Nov. 22 by representatives from the Campus Solidarity Working Group. During that meeting, members of the Council endorsed the letter in a 16 to 5 vote which followed at least three hours of discussion. “Ms. Nichols’ letter criticized the reductions in tenure lines, adjunct and visiting faculty members, and course sections as a result of the financial crisis,” reads the letter. “The document demonstrated a clear concern for the long-term health of Vassar’s multidisciplinary curriculum, our flexible course offerings, and our retention of excellent scholars and teachers. The Council voted to endorse this letter because we believe these are core properties of a Vassar education that our constituents value deeply.”

“Beyond these sentiments,” it continues, “which earned the support of the majority of Council, we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge the inaccuracies within Ms. Nichols’ letter. As representatives, deep sympathy with a problematic or a cause cannot be an excuse to avoid the facts. The document presents a problematic interpretation of Vassar’s financial planning. We seek to highlight just some of the instances where the letter marshals false or incomplete evidence to make its case.”

7:25 | Noyes: “I really think we should vote on this letter tonight. We’re not going to agree on every single point of this memorandum, and I think that’s okay. I think that part of the point of this is that we all have different opinions.”

7: 30 | Operations explains that one of the concerns of last week’s endorsement was that constituents weren’t consulted before the Council voted in support of Nichols’ letter. “That’s not really an issue this week,” notes Operations, since the memorandum addresses actions of the Council and therefore only speaks for the Council members themselves, not their constituents.

7:36 | 2010: “It seems a little bit like we’re backpedaling or that we’re criticizing their letter.”

7:43 | According to the letter, the Dean of the Faculty released the information to the Executive Board that to the best of his knowledge 10 fewer sections will be offered next year, a much lower figure than the 30 to 40 estimated earlier this year.

8:00 | Council members propose small amendments to the wording of particular paragraphs or sections of the memorandum.

8:40 | Five-minute recess

8:58 | The Council unanimously endorses the memorandum, which will be sent to the Board of Trustees on Wednesday, Dec. 2.

A copy of the memorandum can be found at the bottom of this post.

9:08 | Allocation of $1000 from Mid Hudson Valley Fund to Hip Hop 101: Motion passes.

9:09 | Allocation of $1295 from Mid Hudson Valley Fund to Town Houses: Motion passes.

9:11 | Allocation of $875 from Great Works Fund to Vassar Public Art Committee: Motion passes.

9:14 | Open Discussion. Council adjourned.

—–

ACADEMICS MEMORANDUM

From: The Vassar Student Association Council

To: The Board of Trustees and Students of Vassar College

Cc: President Catharine Hill, Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Chenette, Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger, Dean of the College Christopher Roellke, Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth Eismeier, Vice President for Development Cathy Baer, Vice President for Computing and Information Services Bret Ingerman, Vice President for College Relations Susan DeKrey, Chair of the Faculty Policy and Conference Committee Steve Rock

Date: November 29, 2009

We, the VSA Council, wish to elaborate on our 11.22.09 endorsement of the Campus Solidarity Working Group’s letter to the Board of Trustees. The letter, written by Adjunct Associate Professor of English Judy Nichols, was presented to Council by a group of five students. After a heated discussion of nearly four hours, Council voted 15-6 to endorse the document. We seek here to frame this endorsement in the context of our nuanced discussion.

Ms. Nichols’ letter—the second in a series of similar documents—criticized the reductions in tenure lines, adjunct and visiting faculty members, and course sections as a result of the financial crisis. The document demonstrated a clear concern for the long-term health of Vassar’s multidisciplinary curriculum, our flexible course offerings, and our retention of excellent scholars and teachers. The Council voted to endorse this letter because we believe these are core properties of a Vassar education that our constituents value deeply.

Our endorsement of this letter was, to some extent, a reflection of the mood of the student body. Council is comprised of 24 full-time students. We study in every academic department. We compete on varsity athletics teams. We do research with our professors, learn from the life experiences of our staff, and benefit from the multifaceted diversity within our own student body. Council’s views on Vassar parallels the views of our 2,450 constituents. Many Council members felt that they lacked accurate financial information; many felt unsure of the future of their department or their favorite professor; many felt annoyed that, while members of the Executive Board are routinely consulted on confidential financial planning, the broader student community is left in the dark until after decisions have been reached. These feelings, reflected by our 15-6 endorsement, are all reflective of broader concerns on campus.

We also respect the student contingent of the Solidarity Group who attended our meeting. We are their representatives, and it is our responsibility to channel their feelings to the College’s decision-making bodies. Even if we disagree on policy and approach, we applaud these students for caring about our College so deeply. Indeed, a consistent frustration among Council members is that surprisingly few constituents come to us with institutional concerns—unfortunate, in a financial climate inevitably filled with such concerns. We are often discouraged when students are apathetic about the state of the College, and do not seek information easily available through campus-wide e-mails, our VSA site, the Economy site, or The Miscellany News. We admire the commitment of the students in the Solidarity Group and appreciate their efforts to make Vassar a more conscientious, egalitarian institution.

Nevertheless, we harbor no unrealistic expectations that Vassar can remain unchanged. In this economic climate, the VSA Council is fully aware that the curriculum we all value must shrink. So too must our teaching staff. However, as members of the community, we cannot help but feel saddened when our teachers are let go. And as representatives of the student body, we cannot help but agree with the Solidarity Group’s sincere concern for the effect of the financial crisis on academic life and on the lives of community members.

Beyond these sentiments, which earned the support of the majority of Council, we feel it is our responsibility to acknowledge some of the many inaccuracies within Ms. Nichols’ letter. In its accusatory and hyperbolic tone, the document presents a problematic interpretation of Vassar’s careful financial planning. We seek to highlight just some of the instances where the letter marshals false or incomplete evidence to make its case.

The letter makes several inaccurate claims about the staffing and curricula of specific departments. Computer Science will actually be teaching four more course sections next fall compared to this year.[1] Film too will be one course ahead of the level of staffing they requested for 2010-11 because a new tenure-track appointee would have had a reduced course load in the first year.[2] As for the languages, the Dean of the Faculty office has indeed asked that tenure-line faculty members engage in teaching at the 100-level on a regular basis. Students at the 100-level deserve and benefit from contact with our tenured scholars, and our tenure-line faculty benefit from regular engagement with the challenges and rewards of teaching at that level. We disagree with the letter’s implication that this trend is negative. Further, we take issue with the letter’s baseless accusation that the administration has illegally forced faculty members to retire. While the College’s financial situation has no-doubt resulted in some retirement-age faculty feeling pressure to leave the institution, we have no reason to believe that the administration is the source of that pressure.

Most significantly, beyond these specific points, the letter conveys both implicitly and explicitly that decisions have been made by a small group of administrators without regard to community input. This is misleading. While our Senior Officers (most of whom are also teaching faculty) have directed financial planning, students and faculty also had direct input into decision-making. Two elected students—the VSA President and VSA Vice President for Operations—sit as full members on the Priorities and Planning Committee. The members of this group sit as equals, debating the College’s many noble aspirations alongside its financial restraints. The students, faculty, and administrators come together with optimism for what Vassar should be and realism for what Vassar can be. Through this committee, we have had (and continue to have) substantive and specific input into the financial decision-making process. On curricular issues, the VSA Vice President for Academics sits on the Advisory Group for the Allocation of Faculty Resources (AGAFR) and the Committee on Curricular Policies (CCP), and is a vocal advocate for multidisciplinary programs, the reduction of administrative course releases, and the general maintenance of our broad and diverse curriculum. The letter fails to acknowledge the substantive input that students have had into the current financial plan through their elected representatives.

Moreover, the letter implies that Vassar’s financial planning was reached haphazardly—that the senior administration hacked away at the budget without care for the curriculum or respect for the College’s employees. In fact, we recognize that the process was thoughtful and deliberative. Dean of the Faculty Jon Chenette has worked (and continues to work) with departments to ensure that we are making academic reductions in ways that will affect the broader curriculum as little as possible. We recognize that some members of the community, including some members of our own Council, object to staffing decisions in certain areas. However, the Senior Officers, CCP and AGAFR reached these decisions after long and careful consideration. This important work should not be dismissed.

We agree wholeheartedly with the document’s concern for the curriculum, and are pleased that since the Council’s endorsement, the most recent estimates suggest that the curriculum will lose only 10 course sections next fall, rather than the 30 previously estimated. It is important to realize that the damage done to the curriculum by these changes is not nearly as catastrophic as Ms. Nichols’ letter implies. By almost any measure, Vassar’s curriculum will remain flexible and diverse.

We would also like to clarify the conditions under which Council voted to endorse the letter. The members of the Solidarity Group told Council that Ms. Nichols planned to send her letter on Wednesday, November 25. As we later discovered, she did not plan to send it until Wednesday, December 2. This false date essentially prevented us from delaying the vote by one week to consider the motion in greater depth. While we do not believe that we were intentionally misled, this significant miscommunication put pressure on Council to act quickly. Many representatives saw this as a choice between “doing something” to advocate for the curriculum or “doing nothing.” Under this tight timeframe, the majority of Council elected to endorse the document. In some cases, this endorsement was more for the sentiments behind it than for the facts underlying it.

The feelings we express here are nuanced, but the issues facing the College are complex enough that such nuance is required. Unlike the Solidarity Group’s letter, we lack a unified thesis. We are instead left with competing and simultaneous thoughts—irreparable sadness for the loss of professors and staff, concern for our characteristically dynamic curriculum, profound respect for the College’s senior leadership, and a determination to mend our community and build an unshakable foundation for Vassar’s next 150 years.

[2] Film is indeed losing a tenured retiree, and that line may indeed be restored in the future. For the short term, the College is replacing all the courses that person would have taught by a combination of other types of appointments. Overall, the department will be one course ahead of the level of staffing they requested for 2010-11 because a new tenure-track appointee would have had a reduced course load in the first year.

Vassar alumna and Field Work Office Administrative Assistant Robin Laurita ’05, one of the speakers, quoted President Barack Obama’s inaugural address: “the time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit and to choose our better history.”

“I believed that [the administration] would commit themselves to these ideas,” said Laurita; “[would] make Vassar College a pioneer in these difficult economic times. It was only within a few weeks that the true mission of the executive administrators would begin to take hold in my psyche.” Laurita continued, “I’m asking the students, as an alumn to upcoming alumns, take back your mission statement! Do not allow a select few to come in here and dismantle what Vassar has stood for historically.” Laurita then displayed the cap and gown she had worn on her graduation day. “I’m aking you to stand up and show what [this] means to you,” she said tearfully, gesturing to the robe. “You be the leader…take back your mission statement!”

Dean of the College Christopher Roellke commented on the administration’s recent relationship with the Working Group. “We received a very cordial response to our response,” he said of their latest correspondence. “It was a very polite, diplomatic email but the bottom line is they still want their demands to stand.” Roellke commented that this tone of voice is “a 180-degree turn into [a direction] which is extraordinarily positive.”

Science Support Technician and business agent for the Communication Workers of America Union Carl Bertsche also spoke at the rally, announcing that the Union proposed a plan for staff reductions to the administration where six people would still have been laid off, but “there would have been due attrition, and the union would have taken the hit. The College could have had what they wanted; we would have had job security…and all our folks would enjoy the holidays with their families.” However, according to Bertsche, “[the administration] told us basically to ‘stick it.’ Now,” he continued, “We’re on a position with the moral high ground.”

Roellke was unaware of the proposal of which Bertsche spoke. “We’re ready to hear any and all grievances,” he said. “If we made an error in the contract we certainly want to follow the proper protocol.” He also explained that the College is working with the laid-off staff and that “an effort is being made to try to place them elsewhere in the College.” According to Roellke, the way that the administration approached the cuts was to “determine functions that the college could do without.” Knowing this, he said, several departments left vacant positions open in the hopes that staff whose posts were eliminated would be moved into the available positions.

“It isn’t about six people here or the 14 adjuncts who are not going to be renewed…this is an institution of higher learning, where you’re supposed to be able to treat people properly,” said Bertsche. “There’s four groups of people on campus here, and a large amount want [the senior officers] to do business in a different way.”

For more information on next year’s curriculum, read Senior Editor Molly Turpin’s article, “Changes to curriculum to be announced by Dean of the Faculty this week,” from the Nov. 5 issue of The Miscellany News.

Please continue checking miscellanynews.com this week for further reporting on changes to the curriculum. To see Chenette’s letter in full, see below.

To: Vassar Community

From: Jon Chenette, Dean of the Faculty

Re: Faculty Staffing Update for 2010-11

November 15, 2009

As President Hill has explained in her letters to the community, work on developing a faculty salary budget for 2010-11, as part of the College’s necessary response to the economic crisis, has been ongoing over the past several months.  While the details of next year’s curriculum and who will staff it will evolve over the coming months as departments and programs continue their planning, the staffing plan that determines the overall shape of our curriculum for 2010-11 will largely be finalized this semester. I write to share with you an initial report on our work.

For several months, AGAFR (the Advisory Group on the Allocation of Faculty Resources) has been weighing faculty and student input, information about retirements, and other information about options for reducing the faculty salary budget in light of our educational mission and priorities. AGAFR’s advice has helped shape the parameters within which we are making faculty staffing decisions for 2010-11.

This week, all departments and programs at the College received my responses to their faculty staffing requests for next year. The process of responding to staffing requests from departments and programs takes place every year in the fall. This year, our consultation with chairs and directors took longer than usual because we knew we would be able to approve fewer requests than in the past. We wanted to be as well informed as possible.

In making staffing decisions, we paid particular attention to the desirability of having all faculty teaching at each level of the curriculum on a regular basis; we asked departments to coordinate more carefully the timing of faculty leaves; we asked departments and programs to preserve curricula that meet the needs of both major and non-major students, even if it meant that faculty could not teach all of the courses in special areas of interest; we limited the number of very small courses; and we asked departments to maintain a high level of commitment to multi-disciplinary program staffing.

Early in the semester we received requests from departments for authorization to conduct eight tenure-track searches. Three were requests to replace retiring faculty; three were to reauthorize searches that had been frozen in the previous year; and two were related to faculty members leaving the College.  In consultation with an advisory committee made up of faculty from the Committee on Curricular Policies, the Faculty Policy and Conference Committee, and the Faculty Appointments and Salary Committee, we approved tenure-track searches in Biology, Economics, and Psychology. Some departments whose requests for a tenure-track line were turned down at this time were approved for other kinds of appointments.

Departments and programs submitted requests for about 75 new contracts for non-tenure-track faculty to start next summer.  These requests were split almost evenly between faculty currently employed by the College whose contracts expire in 2010 and faculty yet to be hired. The contracts requested ranged from half a course to full teaching loads. If we had granted all 75 requests for new contracts, next year’s curriculum would have returned almost to the record size of last year’s curriculum.

Of the approximately 75 requests for new faculty contracts, two-thirds were approved.  Ten of those were approved at a level lower than requested. The requests that were not approved were divided almost equally between those for new contracts for current faculty and those for faculty not yet hired. There are approximately 14 current part-time and full-time non-tenure-track faculty members for whom new contracts were requested but not approved for 2010-11.  The teaching loads of those faculty constitute the equivalent of seven full-time faculty members.

We understand and deeply regret that our decisions concerning staffing requests will present particular hardships for those current faculty members for whom new contracts for 2010-11 were recommended, but not approved. We appreciate and thank them for the significant contributions they have made to our students and to the college community. We are working on ways to support them as they plan for the future.

Approximately half the College’s departments and programs are affected by these decisions to reduce or not approve requested contracts. Departments relatively unaffected by this year’s reductions were asked to contribute in other ways where possible, through such things as added Freshman Writing Seminars or expanded commitments to multidisciplinary program staffing.

Preliminary analysis suggests that the 2010-11 curriculum overall may end up about 30 to 40 class sections smaller than this year. This year approximately 1150 class sections are being taught. Reductions in release time from teaching for faculty who perform College service such as serving as chair or director or on various committees have preserved more than 30 class sections for the curriculum that might otherwise have been lost. We appreciate the cooperation of those who will be called on to provide leadership and service with fewer course releases, and we will take concrete steps to try to make their jobs easier and more rewarding.

Many people desire more information on how the reductions and non-approvals of requested contracts will affect specific areas of the curriculum. To the extent that such information can be shared while preserving the confidentiality of individual contracts and the privacy of those affected, we will compile that information and share it with students and faculty soon.

The strength of our College depends on the strength of our faculty and curriculum.  Many within the faculty ranks have worked tirelessly to develop staffing plans that serve the best interests of our teaching, of our students, and of the College.  While we have had to make difficult and sometimes painful choices, I believe that the deliberative process that has informed our decisions has led to plans for next year in which every area of the curriculum will continue to provide course offerings that are varied and exciting. I look forward to supporting the work of the remarkable teachers, scholars, and creative artists who constitute our faculty as we offer an extraordinary education for our diverse and talented students.

—

Jon Chenette
Dean of the Faculty and Professor of Music

The written response comes after an Oct. 30 meeting between about 15 members of the Campus Solidarity Working Group,  Roellke, Kitzinger, Chenette, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Faculty Policy and Conference Committee Steve Rock, Vassar Student Association (VSA)  President Caitlin Ly ’10 and VSA Vice President for Operations Brian Farkas ’10. The meeting was intended to be a discussion clarifying demands, not a negotiation of them.

Members of the Campus Solidarity Working Group wished to video tape the discussion to be publicly available afterwards. The administrators present were hesitant and only agreed to allow the meeting to be taped if the tape would only be shared with members of the Campus Solidarity Working Group. Students present did not to agree to these conditions, and instead read a prepared response to questions about their demands—which had been sent to them prior to the meeting—before ending the meeting.

Along with their response to demands, Roellke, Chenette and Kitzinger also sent a letter to the group outlining their concerns with the group’s tactics of making demands occasionally disruptive proceedings. “We believe your actions are motivated by your deep commitment to your ideals of community you hlod dear,” they wrote. “However, your recent expression of those ideals in the form of demands impairs community by seeking to impose your will outside the representative and governance processes that are in place to ensure that a wide variety of voices inform decision-making.”

“At this point we offer you a written response to demands as the best option available, absent the opportunity for the conversation we had desired. If you wish to pursue a conversation that might provide for mutual understanding and compromise, we remain open to further exchanges,” senior officers wrote in the letter.

The demands included the “reinstatement of eliminated positions and cessation of job eliminations” as well as the inclusion of the unions on campus in all negotiations. The Officers replied that the compensation budget of the College represents too large a percent of the operating budget not to be reduced in the process of restructuring Vassar’s budget. In the response, they explain that because the restructuring of the budget must be permanent, temporary pay cuts across the College would not achieve the desired savings, and permanent pay cuts would render Vassar’s compensation of its employees uncompetitive.

The senior officers also listed measures to reduce the compensation budget that they exercised before eliminating positions, which included replacing vacant positions only when absolutely necessary, pay freezes for administrators earning more than $50,000 annually and a program of retirement incentives.

In response to the demand for direct negotiations with unions, the Officers clarified that there is a formal process for hearing union grievances. “The College stands ready to hear all grievances appealing staffing decisions that have resulted in layoffs, consistent with the established grievance process detailed in each union contract. Several grievances concerning some of the steps the college has taken were already in process prior to the receipt of the ‘list of demands,’” they wrote. ”The grievance process is a time‐tested method of settling disputes between labor and management. Each grievance focuses on addressing the individual request of an employee and how it complies with the mutually agreed up contract.”

Other demands included a thorough review of the new custodial schedule, the re-examination of expiring faculty contracts, financial transparency and an opportunity for members of the community to give suggestions about the financial decisions of the College. The senior officers responded to each one and reminded the group that the College is receptive to ideas through the e-mail address budget@vassar.edu or the Vassar and the Economy web site. According to the senior officers, they have received a variety of useful suggestions but did not feel that it was appropriate to share them publicly as they were not offered with the intention of being public.

In response to the first demand, the senior officers wrote that the College’s commitment is to the long-term fulfillment of the educational mission of the College, “There will be disagreement about what is essential to that mission and how to achieve it, and we welcome and depend upon discussions among members of the community that help to inform all of us about these differences.”

The complete response to the demands of the Campus Solidarity Working Group can be read after the jump:

November 3, 2009

Response to the demands of the Solidarity Working Group

Prepared by Dean of the Faculty Jonathan Chenette, Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger and Dean of the College Christopher Roellke.

#1 and 2: Reinstatement of Eliminated Positions and Cessation of Job Eliminations

In the first quarter of this academic year, numerous individuals have been notified that they will no longer have positions at the College several months from now. Therefore, we demand that those who have lost their positions during this academic year be reinstated immediately or immediately given jobs at the college with equal pay. It is increasingly clear that job eliminations are unpredictable and may very well continue at various levels of employment at the College. Therefore, we demand that all job eliminations are ceased immediately.

Response: The administration and the trustees have an obligation to protect the long‐term health of the college; members of the community who are committed to the value of the kind of education that Vassar offers also care about its survival for future generations. In these times of financial stress, what we would like to do in the present and what we must do for the future of the college have to be carefully considered and, in some ways, weighed against each other, and choices have to be made. In making those choices we are guided by the educational mission of the college. There will be disagreement about what is essential to that mission and how to achieve it, and we welcome and depend upon discussions among members of the community that help to inform all of us about these differences. Those who are given the responsibility by the Governance of the college to make decisions about the allocation of resources make those decisions in the context of our collective and varied understanding of our educational mission and take to heart the importance of the College’s ability to fulfill that mission today and in to the future.

Decisions also have to be made with reference to financial realities. Here are some of them: As we have discussed with the Vassar community over the past year, we know that we need to restructure our operating expenses permanently and not through short‐term measures. We also know that the share of our operating budget that goes to compensation makes it  impossible to restructure our finances without reducing this budget. And we know that we cannot create the kind of permanent change that is required through a temporary, or even permanent, reduction in any particular subset of salaries and wages, even an across the board reduction. The dollar value of the change we need to make is simply too large and would translate into unfair and inequitable compensation for many positions at Vassar. Colleges exist in a competitive market and, in that market, competent people expect to be paid at one institution in keeping with salary levels at peer institutions. If we reduced salaries now, we would risk eroding the quality of our workforce and the education we provide our students and would need to raise salary levels in the near future in order to attract and retain the best employees for Vassar. This cycle would not achieve permanent change.

Given these realities we made a decision to lower the compensation budget in the following ways: 1) we decided to restructure when an employee left the college voluntarily, so that we would only replace a vacant position when absolutely necessary; 2) we initiated a program of retirement incentives, to encourage further vacant positions that would not have to be filled; 3) we did not give salary increases for those administrators whose annual salaries were above $50,000. This third approach to controlling compensation was guided by an understanding that our peers were taking similar steps, and by a sense of what was fair and defensible in a difficult year. We were committed to the raises contractually agreed upon under union contracts and honored all of those raises.

These initial steps were insufficient to place the College on a path to sustainable budget levels. Fortunately, the Board of Trustees supported a multi‐year plan to reach a new equilibrium. The level of spending from our endowment this year and next, even with the changes we achieved through voluntary departures, remains very high, and we cannot increase it further. After many people carefully considered the work that is essential, we identified 13 non‐faculty positions that could be eliminated later this academic year. Knowing that people in these positions deserved the college’s support as we made this change, we gave considerable advance notice and have taken several steps to help them find employment, either in other areas within the college or elsewhere. These efforts at assistance continue.

The changes that have been announced put the College in a position to meet our goal for the non‐faculty compensation budget for the 2010/11 academic year. We will continue to review positions as individuals retire or resign, however, since our reliance on endowment support is still too high. We have been working on adjustments in the faculty over the same period of time, with input from various faculty committees and extensive discussions between the Dean of the Faculty and departments and programs. We expect to implement these changes by July 1, 2010. These decisions will again be taken with as full a consideration as possible both of the college’s mission and an understanding of the variety of contractual arrangements that different groups within the faculty have with the college.

#3. Direct Negotiations

Though steps have been taken to minimize the number of staff layoffs and firings, it is essential that campus workers and their unions be given the opportunity to negotiate these issues. Therefore, we demand that the College open direct negotiations with all unions represented on campus.

Response: The College stands ready to hear all grievances appealing staffing decisions that have resulted in layoffs, consistent with the established grievance process detailed in each union contract. Several grievances concerning some of the steps the college has taken were already in process prior to the receipt of the “list of demands.” The grievance process is a time‐tested method of settling disputes between labor and management. Each grievance focuses on addressing the individual request of an employee and how it complies with the mutually agreed up contract. The College is committed to upholding the same fair employment practices in the settling of these grievances as it would in any other case. It is neither appropriate nor necessary to establish another channel of communication, when in fact the contracts themselves outline a clear process for direct communication on the interpretation of contract language about every aspect of employment and cessation of employment. The College participates in this process with a strong commitment to our employees’ welfare.

One responsibility of supervisors and managers in each area of the college is to determine the size and responsibilities of the workforce needed to accomplish the College’s goals. These are essential responsibilities of the employer, as outlined in the collective bargaining agreements, and the College would not negotiate away the responsibility for determining the ultimate size of the workforce. The contracts also contain language regarding seniority, notice periods, severance pay and benefits, all of which we follow in the event of layoffs. The College has taken great care to abide by all provisions in the three separate labor contracts which determine conditions of employment for some of the employees affected by layoff decisions. The unions received formal notification of all layoff decisions, and, although we were not required to do so by the union contract, we invited an official representative to be present during the initial communication with the unionized employees in all cases (except one, due to a scheduling problem.) Copies of letters to employees who are members of each bargaining unit were also sent to each union.

#4. Cleaning Shifts

The academic year has made clear that changes in cleaning shifts made over the summer have not worked for many individuals, be they custodial staff, students, or other staff and faculty. Shifts begin early in the morning, though many employees have children to care for during that time. Shifts end in the early afternoon, leaving facilities unattended to if problems arise. Shifts require that staff move frequently from building to building, regardless of weather conditions. Therefore we demand a comprehensive re‐examination of the current model of cleaning shifts.

Response: Vassar staff – custodial managers, cleaners and janitors – are still adapting to procedures implemented on August 17th. We do not believe sufficient time has elapsed to judge the effectiveness of this new approach. We do agree that ongoing review and adjustment are important to the success of this change in procedure; under the leadership of Tom Allen, Kiki Willliams, and Cynthia Van Tassell, changes that improve both the service and the ability of employees to do their work are being made all the time.

This process includes soliciting feedback from those who receive service (faculty, students, administrators and staff) as well as from custodial staff members. To date, the managers responsible for custodial services have made changes in the amount of time spent in various facilities and have improved protocols for equipment and supplies. The ongoing assessment will be comprehensive, just as the initial research and planning was. The “team cleaning approach” is a proven method in use in many multi‐building campuses. Although some members of Vassar’s custodial staff in the past had one building assignment, quite a few moved between several buildings in the course of theirwork, and some of those moving assignments occurred during the night shift. The new shift schedule is an improvement for some staff, who now work predominantly in the daytime. All custodial employees who had personal circumstances that made it difficult for them to adapt to the new schedule, including family care responsibilities and transportation issues, were given a revised schedule to accommodate their special needs. The College will continue to address employee needs for schedule adjustments. (Although the College proposed a procedure to handle such accommodations in a routine way in the future, the union representatives rejected that approach. Instead employees will file grievances, and the College will respond. We would have preferred a less confrontational approach.) There is an established procedure for addressing difficulties in buildings when a custodian is not present. Requests for assistance can be made by contacting the Service Response number between 8:30 AM and 5:00 PM (extension 5555). After 5:00 PM, calls go through the Campus Response Center (CRC – extension 5221). This procedure was in place even before the cleaning schedule change, since no Vassar facility was ever staffed 24 hours a day. The Service Response personnel or the Troubleshooter (after hours) evaluates the issue, determining if an immediate response is needed; if it is, the issue is referred to a Custodial Supervisor, who will call in personnel as needed.

#5 Job Security

Vassar College is indebted to the Poughkeepsie and Mid‐Hudson communities. Therefore, we demand that the College recognize this responsibility by continuing to provide stable employment, including winter and summer breaks, with decent wages to community residents.

Response: Vassar is committed to being a responsible and fair employer in the mid‐Hudson region. Positions at Vassar are well compensated and carry very strong benefits. Vassar strives to offer all employees compensation that is fair and equitable within the appropriate labor markets. The Human Resources Office reviews wage levels for similar positions within the local or national labor market, in order to ensure that we are providing appropriate salaries, wages and benefits.

Not every position is full‐time or full‐year, given the academic calendar and the operational needs of various service departments. When a position is advertised, the College includes information about the work schedule attached to that position, and we make clear that work cannot be guaranteed for hours outside that standard schedule. It is true that there have been additional opportunities for work during winter and summer breaks in the past. Whenever possible, the College has used additional opportunities to allow employees to fill in gaps in scheduled employment. These additional opportunities arise from programmatic need. Summer employment, in particular, depends upon the level of summer program activity, which is not guaranteed to the College and therefore cannot be guaranteed to employees. The College took steps several years ago to ensure that benefit‐eligible employees remain eligible for health insurance year round, even during intersession periods.

#6 Respect, Dignity, and Peace on Campus for All Workers

The College was founded on principles of social justice. We must remain committed to these principles so that they are not undermined by power and privilege. Therefore, we demand that marginalized groups be given an equal voice and vote in the decision‐making process so that the power to make decisions does not come exclusively from the privileged few.

Response: The decision‐making process at Vassar is established by the Governance, with the Board of Trustees as the ultimate authority. The Governance further establishes a number of different committees and individuals to make decisions that affect many different areas of the college. Decisions concerning union employment are made in accordance with agreements established between the college and the unions. There is no single pattern of decision‐making. Vassar’s Governance is based largely on the principles of representative government, where those who have the responsibility for decision‐making are selected by members of the community to represent them. This form of governance by nature incorporates many perspectives in an intentional way, as we strive together to realize our educational mission, which makes evident in multiple ways a commitment to creating better lives for those within and outside our community.

The heading of this demand calls for respect, dignity, and peace for all who work at Vassar. We look forward to working with members of the community who wish to strengthen the ways we currently foster an environment of respect, dignity, and peace for all within the governance structure of the college. We share the desire to find new ways to create an even stronger sense of our mutual understanding and respect for each other.

#7. Reexamination of Expired Contracts

The College has committed to excluding economic factors in the determination of tenure track positions. Therefore, we demand the same commitment be made with respect to expired contracts; that the nonrenewal of contracts will not occur due to economic conditions; and that students, faculty, and administrators will be given equal and active voices in this decision‐making process.

Response: Every year in the fall, departments and programs submit requests for the following academic year for more non‐tenure‐track faculty staffing than the College can afford. Some of these requests are for the renewal of expired contracts; some of them are requests for new appointments, to replace faculty on leave or to expand the curriculum. Decisions about approving requests for non‐tenure‐track faculty staffing require careful balancing of competing curricular priorities, enrollment pressures and trends, confidential contract information, confidential faculty review documents, legal and ethical standards in employment policy, and the College’s financial circumstances.

Gauging curricular need carefully is particularly important during an economic downturn because of the smaller number of positions we can afford. The Dean and Associate Dean of the Faculty have held dozens of hours of meetings with individual faculty members, department chairs, program directors, and student and faculty groups over recent weeks in order to deepen their knowledge of the rationales for non‐tenure‐track faculty staffing requests. To make decisions on the principle that renewing expired contracts takes precedence over all other considerations would be to ignore curricular need and enrollment pressures as part of the decision‐making process. To act responsibly towards our educational mission we must consider the shape of the curriculum, as well as many other factors, in making these decisions.

The faculty, through their elected committees and through the established procedures of department, program, and faculty meetings, are responsible for determining educational policies in each area of the curriculum, and the Dean of the Faculty works closely with the faculty to ensure that staffing supports the curriculum within the limits of the College’s resources. Students participate through CCP, the VSA, and majors committees, as well as individual interactions with chairs of departments and programs and other faculty members. A wide array of student, faculty, and administrative voices informs these decisions.

# 8. A New Management Strategy

The College has used the examples of “peer institutions” to guide its actions, rhetoric, and rationale for various decisions. Therefore, we demand that Vassar College create its own management model rather than use the management styles of “peer institutions” to guide our actions and rhetoric. This model will include the understanding that in times of future economic crises, the College’s first commitment should be to those in the most precarious economic situation.

Response: The governance structure at the college is articulated in the college’s Governance, which lays out the responsibilities of different groups on campus, including the Board of Trustees, the administration, faculty, and students. Each of these groups undertakes its responsibilities in a cooperative and consultative way to the best of its abilities. This governance structure plays a large part in determining the uniqueness of Vassar as an institution. While we recognize and value Vassar’s special character, it is often helpful and informative to see how we compare with peer institutions in a number of areas which are of common concern to all liberal arts colleges in order to make informed decisions. We can learn from other institutions and even other types of organizations, as they can learn from us. As an institution of higher education, using available information that might help us make decisions that will accomplish our mission more effectively is crucial to the principle of inquiry which is central to our educational mission.

Reasonable people can and will disagree, and good processes and cooperative efforts will not always result in consensus. We are a stronger institution if we can preserve our faith in representative processes that lead to decisions, even when we disagree with the outcomes.

In response to economic crises, the College must balance many different commitments and ensure that no value central to its mission of educating our students is compromised. One of our values is to be a fair employer, but, while we are committed to treating all of our employees well, there will be times when we have to adjust our levels of employment, in accordance with present and future needs.

#9 and 10: Financial Transparency and Town Hall Meetings

There is a general concern in our community that information is often not transparent, available or trustworthy. When information is made available, it is done so selectively and to particular groups and constituencies of the College, confusing the processes of communication between community members. Therefore we demand financial transparency. Students, faculty, and staff are perfectly able to, and will, partake in financial decision‐making and the creation and dissemination of financial information. All available information will actively be made public to the College community. Similarly, the sharing and discussion of available information is critical in maintaining a healthy and communicative community. Therefore, we demand that at least monthly town hall meetings be held to bring together students, faculty, staff, and administrators where not only information will be shared and discussed, but all community members will have the opportunity to engage in collective decision‐making.

Response: Those at the college whose job it is to report financial data to government agencies, auditors, and organizations that collect data about college and universities take responsibility for making accurate information available to the community in various locations, such as the website for the Office of Finance and Administration, the Vassar and the Economy website, and the website for the Office of Institutional Research. In addition the administration has made an effort to give information to all constituencies in a variety of forums, where there is an opportunity to explain data, answer questions, and engage in discussion about the college’s situation. We have deliberately varied the groups at these meetings, so that people feel free to bring up issues of concern to a particular group and so that different schedules can be accommodated. Large group meetings do not always encourage discussion. The information presented at these meetings, as well as on the websites, has been consistent and is based on the college’s audited financial reports and reports required by a variety of external agencies. Some information that informs decisions at the college is protected by standards of privacy and confidentiality; this information cannot be shared widely.

The purpose of our meetings has been both to share information with the community and to hear concerns, opinions and ideas from those who attend. The email address,

budgetideas@vassar.edu, initiated in the fall of 2008, and the Vassar and the Economy website, initiated in August of 2009, provide means for all members of the community to communicate ideas and suggestions anonymously. We seek to allow any informed member of the community to participate in the process of change with suggestions, ideas, commentary and advice. The decisions that result from this consultative process, the responsibility for which lies ultimately with those charged with it under the Governance, benefit from vital community input through these channels. We strive for transparency by providing the community with the information that enables members to participate in an informed way and then by making clear the principles, the input from the community, and the data upon which the decisions are made. Ideas about how to share and discuss information in a more productive way, within the limitations of both union contracts and the Governance of the college, are welcome.

# 11. Invitation to Submit Cost–Cutting Ideas

Though particular actions have been taken in order to save the College money, it is clear that ther remains an abundance of ways, possibly unnoticed by many, that the College can cut costs. Therefore, we demand that all students, faculty, staff, and administration by given an open and public invitation to submit their own ideas about how to cut costs at the College. All proposals will actively be made public to all students, faculty, staff, and administrators, who will all be given ample time to consider these proposals before any financial decisions are made.

Response: We have been soliciting, taking into account, and following up on cost‐cutting ideas from the community for about a year now. Individuals can submit ideas by e‐mail, letter, or on the economy web site. We have received many useful suggestions. We have not made all proposals public, because some have not been given with the assumption that they would be made public. For example, we have received suggestions that specific positions be eliminated or comments that certain departments are inefficient or ineffective. It would not be appropriate to make such recommendations public, but the feedback was properly relayed so that it could be considered.

As for the over‐all strategy for addressing the financial crisis, the discussions have been inclusive and consistent with our governance structure. A variety of committees have been involved, from committees of the Board of Trustees, to the Priorities and Planning Committee (with faculty, administration, and student representation), to AGAFR and CCP (both with faculty, administration, and student representation). Financial decision‐making is ultimately the responsibility of the Board of Trustees. The administration, in consultation with other constituencies on campus, informs the Board’s decision‐making. Our foundational documents require that major financial decisions be made in this way. Because our hourly staff have chosen to unionize, they cannot, by law, be involved in management decisions. They work through union representatives in their discussions with management.

#12. Response to Demands

We demand a response to these demands, which, along with a copy of this list, will be made public to all students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

Response: We provide this written response to these demands in the spirit of promoting mutual understanding and trust after having failed in our attempt at a conversational exchange. We believe that a give‐and‐take of ideas is essential to the discourse that Vassar as an educational institution depends upon. Our goal is to strengthen respectful exchange and find ways that members of the community can share perspectives in order to influence decisions, always channeling the best ideas toward the governance bodies and individuals most in a position to consider and implement them. We also acknowledge that the process of such exchanges will not lead to agreement in all cases. The Campus Solidarity Working Group has made it clear that they have been driven to make demands, because their attempts to use other modes of communication have not led to the results they seek. Our response is based on different assumptions about how decisions about the college’s financial situation must be made. But we wish to reaffirm our belief in the effectiveness of honest and open exchanges of ideas unconstrained by symbolic or actual force as an essential feature of decision‐making in any context and at any level.

#13. Immunity

We demand immunity from punitive repercussions for anyone who has engaged in this struggle for justice.

Response: Diversity of perspective is highly valued at Vassar, and we encourage such expression. Freedom of expression is an essential component of a liberal arts education and a core value in our community. Because we are a community, we must couple this freedom with a concern for the safety and welfare of others. When we express divergent views and perspectives, it is essential that we all abide by Vassar College regulations and the community’s shared expectations of civil discourse. These regulations and expectations, jointly established among students, faculty, and administrators, are designed to protect the interests of all members of our community.

Our community’s regulations and expectations can be found in the Vassar College Student Handbook; the section entitled College Regulations applies to all members of the college community. Additional statements regarding conduct addressing specific constituencies within the college community are contained within the Governance of Vassar College, the Faculty Handbook, the Administrative Handbook and negotiated union contracts. Should violations of these regulations and expectations occur, the College must uphold the rules and standards of mutual respect by which we live as a community.

It is not clear to us what the solidarity group means by “punitive repercussions.” Conduct proceedings at the College are guided by a number of goals: educating the community about potential violations; protecting members of the community whose safety and welfare may have been jeopardized; and regulating behavior that violates the college’s standards for civility, integrity, and respect for each other, while protecting the right of every member of the community freely and respectfully to express his or her opinions.

Members of the Solidarity Working Group—who have advocated throughout the past two weeks for the job security of Vassar employees—received an e-mail the day before the Trustee meeting from President of the College Catharine Bond Hill. In the e-mail, Hill wrote that she “would like to invite two [members of the group] to present the demands to our Board of Trustees who are here on campus this weekend.” Hill also explained that she and the Senior Officers would be “getting back to [them] on the ‘List of Demands’ as soon as possible, but no later than Oct. 30, 2009,” wrote Hill. “I would like to propose,” the e-mail continues, “that a small group of administrators and members of the faculty leadership meet with you before then, however, to discuss in more detail the demands you have outlined so that we can respond with a clear understanding of your concerns.”

The meeting, held in the College Center Multipurpose Room—was already in session when Hill exited the room to call in Joyce and Stevenson, who had been waiting outside. Once inside, the two students were introduced to Chair of the Board of Trustees William Plapinger before being seated before the Trustees and Senior Officers.

Because all those attending the meeting already had copies of the demands, Joyce and Stevenson did not read them aloud and instead both read from a brief statement, during which they advocated for the preservation of the mission of the College and the protection of the Vassar community.

Once the students had delivered their remarks, Plapinger thanked them, saying “I don’t think we’re going to open this up for conversation—I think it’s the start of a conversation and I know that the administration has invited you to meet with a group of administrators and senior faculty.”

“I would like to say,” continued Plapinger, “that the steps being taken by the administration have been fully considered and fully supported by the Board. We do believe that we share the many—and almost all—of the concerns that you have, but ultimately our responsibility by law is to preserve the mission of the institution, which is education, and we believe that the steps we have taken will permit us to have Vassar be economically sustainable for many years to come.” Following these remarks and further thanks from Plapinger, the students left the room and the Trustees continued with the meeting.

Please continue checking miscellanynews.com throughout and following October Break for more updates on breaking campus news.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 3 p.m., approximately 100 members of the College community held a demonstration outside of Main Building; though there were several faculty members present, the group was primarily made up of students and staff from the two major campus unions, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

According to a list of demands read aloud at the start of the demonstration, those participating were advocating primarily for the suspension of all further position eliminations; the group also asked that those who have had their positions eliminated be reinstated in their former position or in another College position.

A draft of demands was discussed at an open meeting on Monday in the Gold Parlor, which was attended by about 10 students and briefly visited by All Campus Dining Center (ACDC) Chef’s Helper Cathy Bradford. After the demands were discussed and communally agreed upon, they were formatted on Tuesday by John Joyce ’12 into the draft presented on Wednesday in front of Main Building.

At the start of the demonstration, Bradford was the first to speak. “Stop the laying off. We have families and children that we have to take care of,” she said. After further remarks from Bradford and from Anastasia Hardin ’10, Sarah Muenzinger ’10 and CWA Business Manager Carl Bertsche, the group explained that they would march first past ACDC, then Baldwin Hall and then Rockefeller Hall. Hardin said that once the group walked around campus, they would “present a copy of the demands to the senior officers in person.” All the senior officers, however, were scheduled to be in a faculty meeting in Rockefeller Hall until about 5 p.m.; the meeting was scheduled in May, according to the Dean of the Faculty office. Over the course of the group’s trip across campus, the demonstrators grew in number to over 200 people, according to students involved.

Update: By approximately 4:25 p.m., the group moved from the College Center to Rockefeller Hall, positioning themselves outside the building in hopes of attracting the attention of administrators and faculty meeting in Rockefeller 300. By 4:40 p.m. the group had disintegrated to about 25 people, and about five minutes later the demonstration ended officially.

Update: About mid-way through the faculty meeting, which lasted from about 3 to 5 p.m., the group of demonstrators gathered outside Rockefeller 300, where the faculty meeting was being held. President Hill reported that she heard banging on the double doors of the auditorium, at which point Dean of the College Chris Roellke exited to talk with the group. ”We requested that we deliver the demands to the senior officers,” said Joyce, “when others from the group demanded that President Hill come to us to receive them. Dean Roellke was already outside of the room at this point. President Hill met with the group briefly, and it was agreed that Stephen [Cheng '10] and I would enter Rocky 300 and the rest of the group would wait outside.”

According to Hill, at the time when Joyce and Cheng entered, Dean of the Faculty Jon Chenette was actually already halfway through reading the demands aloud to the faculty in attendance, as he had been forwarded a copy earlier that day.

When Joyce and Cheng entered the room, Chenette asked if they would like to finish reading through the demands and they declined, instead delivering a brief statement to the group. Joyce also presented President Hill, Dean of Planning and Academic Affairs Rachel Kitzinger and Vice President for Finance and Administration Betsey Eismeier with copies of the demands, which were also distributed to members of the faculty at the meeting. “I think it was really good that they sent two students in and that they were given the opportunity to speak,” said Director of Institutional Research David Davis Van Atta, who attended the meeting.

According to Van Atta, the rest of the meeting was spent discussing the original items on the meeting agenda.

This From the Newsroom entry has been updated with corrections and further information since it was first posted at the scene of the demonstration this afternoon. The last update was made at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 14. Please continue checking miscellanynews.com for more breaking news throughout the week.