| Fall 2001 |
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Villanova University Chapter AAUP |
In this edition of the newsletter of the Villanova chapter of the American Association of University Professors, we wish to remind you of upcoming events and report on others.
¨ How can faculty form what acts like a union without actually unionizing?
A reminder that on Tuesday, September 25, at 3:30 in the Radnor-St. David’s Room of the Connelly Center, the AAUP is sponsoring a discussion on effective faculty organization and action. Patrick B. Shaw, from the AAUP’s Department of Organizing and Services, will make a presentation and lead the discussion. He will suggest ways in which, even if we cannot officially unionize, we can form a group that can work to accomplish many of the same things a union would do.
¨ What are the implications of the plan to make the university’s Mission Statement an important part of hiring new faculty? Will it strengthen Villanova’s distinctive character? Will it limit the faculty’s freedom to hire the best candidates or make Villanova seem less friendly to some candidates? Is it necessary?
Join us for a discussion of the “Guide for Faculty Search Committees: Mission Centered Hiring,” the document from the Office of Mission Effectiveness, on Tuesday, October 9, at 3:30 in the Devon Room of the Connelly Center.
¨ Catholic institutions across the country are considering the ramifications of Ex Corde Ecclesiae, which requires Roman Catholic theologians to obtain a mandatum from their local church authority. Next semester, we will offer a discussion on this important issue.
¨ On April 19, 2001, the AAUP and the Faculty Congress jointly sponsored a discussion of proposed changes to the program for Part-Time Studies students. As part of an attempt to increase enrollment in the Part-Time Studies program, which has declined recently, a subcommittee has proposed creating a new bachelor’s degree which would be available only in the Part-Time Studies program. The degree would be in Interdisciplinary Studies; students would choose one of two concentrations—Information Systems or Strategic Leadership—and would have a somewhat reduced Core Curriculum, although their total number of credits would be unchanged.
The faculty present discussed several potential problems with the proposal, such as whether the new programs would be a sort of Villanova Lite; who would staff the new programs, including whether the programs would rely heavily on adjunct faculty; whether faculty would retain their traditional responsibility for curriculum design and hiring; the economic pressures on the new programs and their faculty; the heavy burden to be placed on new program directors, which would be full-time non-tenure-track appointments; and the risks involved in devoting extensive resources to such an expansion of the Part-Time Studies Program.
For a full report on the discussion, please click here.
¨ To further our work at Villanova and to maintain the national AAUP’s support of your chapter, we need your support. Our influence on others at Villanova depends on your participation and membership. We urge you to participate in our programs and discussions, and we ask you to become a member or to renew your membership. The AAUP is the strongest defender of our rights as faculty, including shared governance, academic freedom, and tenure. Please join us.