The best way to help Michigan Tech become a nationally recognized research university as well as a good place to do research and prepare students for productive careers is to secure the role of its faculty in important university decisions. At the University Senate sponsored forum on February 12, the petitioners for the re-certification election agreed with the AAUP on this goal. But what is the best way to achieve it?
The petitioners suggest that we continue to do it the way it has been done over the past twenty years or so at Michigan Tech: individuals or ad hoc groups of faculty should talk with administrators and should try to appoint more effective and fair administrators. This hasn't worked. Through three administrations we have had repeated chaos brought on by bad administrative decisions that have harmed the financial health and status of the university. An approach that relies primarily on periodic votes of no confidence is no way to run a university.
Administrators come and go; some are better than others; and all eventually make mistakes. The only way to make sure that faculty have the input that is needed to make good decisions is through collective bargaining which will put in place a culture of faculty leadership at Michigan Tech. Through working collectively in the AAUP we demonstrate the value of faculty leadership, honor the service work done by our colleagues in the Senate and its committees, and learn respect for ourselves and each other as dedicated professionals.
For more information on why we as a faculty can best achieve our goals through re-certification of the AAUP, click on Election Info in the left column.
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