RPInsider

Something like this...

We’re deviating from the plan already, but we’ve been tipped off by many of you to something which we believe warrants the “Uncovered” title.

Faculty governance, which one may assume doesn’t affect them as a student, is an issue which reaches throughout the entirety of the institute. If your professors don’t have any means to officially assemble, they can’t truthfully express what they (as experts) think is best academically for the institute. They have no means to advocate for us students when it is needed. The opportunity to voice their opinions may not even be presented to them without an official body.

Now, you may be thinking why should I care? And quite frankly, you don’t have to.But if you’d like to know more about this whole faculty governance debacle, there is a VERY comprehensive article (pdf, 22 pages) written by two (hopefully tenured) RPI professors which you may want to take a look at (especially you student government geeks.) The article goes into the history of governance at RPI, and continues through to the present day situation. It was published as part of the new AAUP Journal of Academic Freedom, which aims to be the “one place to track the developing international discussion about academic freedom and its collateral issues.” Sounds good to us.

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We're not sure which one we're getting with our AAUP investigation.

The AAUP (American Association of University Professors) announced recently that it will be investigating Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute for issues surrounding faculty governance, specifically the still suspended Faculty Senate.

The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “The Ticker” had this to say:

The American Association of University Professors announced on Friday that its general secretary, Gary Rhoades, has authorized an investigation of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute over issues of shared governance. The group says the investigation by a panel of its own members will focus on the suspension of Rensselaer’s faculty senate. The office of Rensselaer’s top-paid president, Shirley Ann Jackson, suspended the faculty senate there in 2007, and it has not met since.

The AAUP’s press story is available here.

Here is another story from the Chronicle ‘07 where the AAUP publicly criticized the school.

I don’t really know what this investigation will entail, but I believe it is a step in the right direction to resolve this faculty/administration fiasco rift within our school community.

Share Uncategorized AAUP, faculty, faculty senate, investigation