Situation
Professor Fraser chairs a seven member department at a mid-sized state university. They have heavy teaching loads. The Dean has announced increased expectations for scholarly research, and a new Chancellor has been brought in to make “vertical cuts” (i.e., removing whole programs rather than skimming cuts across departments or depending on upcoming retirements and vacancies). In reviewing the Chair’s report, Professor Donner notices that Fraser has made exaggerated claims about the professional activities of the sociology department. For example, the number of students “in the program” includes majors and minors, not only in sociology, but in some allied fields that also use sociology courses heavily. Participation of some faculty in round tables at the annual meetings has been changed to formal paper presentations and faculty member projects that are “in progress” are listed as “under review”.
Questions
- What is the responsibility of department faculty members for monitoring how and under what conditions their program is represented on campus?
- Should Professor Donner bring this to the attention of the Chair? the Dean?
Discussion
Faculty members might request a meeting to strategize about department tactics when college conditions change. These discussions might lead to a blueprint that identifies strengths and weaknesses of the program, and targets areas for improvement. They might consider how they could contribute to the ongoing monitoring of department outcomes through alumni surveys, or volunteer to help in assessment procedures.
