In reverse chronological order:
and for the faculty handbook update discussion:
In September 2009 a call for nominations was sent by Rodger van Allen to the present members of the Villanova chapter of the AAUP, and elections were held to produce the present slate of officers. See the email announcement.
Summary of September 2, 2009 Meeting of the Villanova University Chapter of the AAUP
The meeting opened with Michael Levitan’s introduction of the guest speaker, John Hinshaw. Professor Hinshaw, Chair of the Department of History and Political Science at Lebanon Valley College, is president of their local AAUP chapter and currently the Vice-President/President Elect of the PA Division of the AAUP.
Professor Hinshaw made an initial presentation concerning the history and value of the AAUP. Analogies were made between the AAUP, the pre-eminent, nationwide organization of faculty, and other professional organizations such as the American Medical Association for physicians and the American Bar Association for attorneys. It was noted that the AAUP was in the vanguard of repudiating the Academic Bill of Rights as put forth by David Horowitz, a document seen to be an attack on academic freedom. Furthermore, it was pointed out that Villanova, as a member of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, supports the AAUP’s statement of principles on academic freedom and tenure.
Professor Hinshaw acted as a facilitator in the spirited discussion concerning critical issues at Villanova: the increasing demands on faculty members’ time, the increasing number of contingent (non-tenure track) and part-time faculty, the impact of the financial crisis on faculty, the Administrative-driven revision of the Faculty Handbook and the need to contact and encourage more participation in the Villanova chapter by younger faculty.
There was a discussion of the chapter’s collaborative relationship with other faculty representative bodies. Our chapter has a unique position as an entity connected to both the university and the national organization. The Villanova chapter of the AAUP is the oldest (1941) representative faculty body on Villanova’s campus and has a distinguished history (http://www3.villanova.edu/aaup/stanford.htm). The chapter intends to focus attention on the current issues confronting the faculty and to help the faculty achieve those goals that are the core values of the AAUP, namely, academic freedom and shared governance.
Robert Jantzen & Michael Levitan
Villanova University has 545 full-time faculty. Fifteen years ago, more than 75 of them belonged to the Villanova chapter of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), the only national organization of faculty members of all fields. At present, the chapter has dwindled to fewer than 20 members.
If you are concerned about academic freedom, shared governance, salaries and working conditions, standards and fairness at Villanova and throughout higher education, we invite you to a meeting on Wednesday, September 2, 2009, 4:30 – 5:30 pm in Bartley 2010, to learn more about the AAUP’s work and the future of Villanova’s chapter.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Michael L. Levitan, Associate Professor of Mathematics
Robert Jantzen, Professor of Mathematics
Nancy Sharts-Hopko, Professor of Nursing