From vwb@email.unc.edu Wed Apr 12 11:02:23 2006 Date: Wed, 12 Apr 2006 10:55:41 -0400 From: Bill Balthrop To: Andrew J Perrin Subject: Re: Request for Information from Candidates for Faculty Office Andrew: Thank you for the opportunity to respond to your questions. Bill Balthrop Professor Department of Communication Studies > 1.) To what extent to you believe faculty interests differ from those > of administrators? Given the different responsibilities of faculty and administrators, it is inevitable that points of divergence and emphasis will occur. However, it is equally important, I think, to recognize that those will overwhelmingly be differences over means and not ends. It is my belief that faculty and administrators are genuinely committed to the ideals and mission of the University and that all work in the best interests of the entire community. When issues do arise, however, it is incumbent upon all parties to listen, to explore, to grant the presumption of good will, and to seek solutions that balance insofar as possible competing interests. > 2.) How should we maintain academic integrity in the face of > increasing financial pressures? Maintaining academic integrity is essential since it is the bedrock upon which the University rests. It is also the case that we must address the very real fiscal constraints that confront us and that we do so creatively, balancing the need to maintain the "core" of the curriculum while being open to the desirability and necessity of innovation and change. Acceptance of external funding must always be grounded in the mission of the University and in the decisions of faculty and individual units. > 3.) What are your views on increasing inequalities within the faculty > based on, for example, tenure-track vs. fixed term appointments and > differing salary levels? It is critical to recognize the contributions of all faculty--whether fixed term or tenured/tenure-track--and to tie compensation, to the extent possible, to those contributions. As a former department chair who had to struggle with these issues on a near constant basis, one must also recognize the financial realities that intrude so harshly. Some faculty are more productive than others and have salary increases more substantial than others based upon specific criteria (hopefully agreed upon within the unit). Market conditions also influence these inequities both within and across disciplines. Concerns over salary compression will likely become more pronounced as competition for the "best" new faculty increases with the retirement of nearly a third of existing faculty and as more institutions seek to improve their status or maintain their strength. Having said that, it is vital that we not fall prey to the "attraction" of hiring fixed-term faculty simply as a less expensive way to meet instructional obligations. Fixed-term faculty work most productively, in my opinion, when they bring special talents and expertise that are valued such that they are recognized for those contributions and not seen as "second class" citizens. And, to the full extent possible, they should be compensated commensurate with those contributions. > 4.) How would you respond on behalf of the faculty if you found out > that administrators had circumvented serious faculty consultation to > pursue major outside funding for a controversial new curriculum? It would be my hope that administrators would not undertake such considerations without serious faculty consultation. In the event, however, that this were to occur, I believe it is incumbent upon the faculty--and primarily the Faculty Council--to express its displeasure in the strongest possible terms. Given the inevitable publicity that would surround such a move, serious discussion between administrators, the Chair of the Faculty, and other groups (such as the Executive Committee of the Faculty Council or appropriate committees) should occur to resolve the issues when possible. But, in the final analysis, it must rest with the faculty to preserve the academic integrity of the University and, upon that, there can be no compromise. > 5.) Would you prefer to see a faculty governance system that is > focused on prominent University issues (e.g., academic freedom and > educational policy) or one that is more focused on faculty's specific > needs (e.g., benefits and salary)? Or, alternatively, how would you > seek to balance the two? I believe that it is extraordinarily difficult to make distinctions along the lines described. To me, faculty governance must address the multitude of issues that develop. Questions about benefits and salary, for instance, seem to be critical to our ability to maintain the strength of our academic mission...as do the principles of academic freedom and educational policy. Faculty governance must confront specific issues that arise and must also be proactive in concert with administrators and others in helping the University anticipate and address both short and more long-term challenges.