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The UO Senate is not a sham operation like other Senates

In the Chronicle. From surveys and interviews of faculty on job satisfaction and other things, conducted by the “Collaborative for Academic Careers in Higher Education at Harvard University.”

Some professors don’t put much stock in faculty governance. The ability to effect change on a campus appeared to positively influence job satisfaction, the study found. But professors at research institutions didn’t seem to think faculty governance was as effective as did their peers at other types of institutions, unless they were in a position of leadership, such as a department chair or a dean.

“University senate and that sort of thing are just sort of sham operations,” one professor said. “They don’t do anything productive as far as changing real policies or importance.”

Of course they can’t be talking about the UO Senate, because our administration decided for us, without Senate input, that the UO faculty would not participate in the Collaboratives survey.

8 Comments

  1. Dog 03/09/2018

    There is a lot that can be said here, and I am sure others will
    bark as well.

    Just One Thing

    Generically one thing a Union is concerned with is “Working Conditions” which I will use as meaning physical facilities, infrastructure, improving the human use of a work space or
    work places – and this likely includes research infrastructure in terms of better lab space, better facilities for students (which I know is kind of happening now).

    Its not surprising, given this view of a Union duty, that a research faculty would use the term “sham operations”.

    In my view, the UO union is overly concerned with faculty salaries and compensation, and much less concerned about improving working conditions, like offices in PLC, or the dungeon classrooms that abound …

    • uomatters Post author | 03/09/2018

      The quote is about senates, not unions.

      • Dog 03/09/2018

        yeah I know, I just remapped it :)

        As for the UO senate, my jury is still out regarding its
        overall ability to substantially change University policy
        and direction. I think its is trying, however – but the
        state of our classrooms remains really unaddressed by
        any entity

    • Amy Adams 03/09/2018

      I thought the phrase “working conditions” in a labor context does not only refer to physical facilities but also the hours, responsibilities, duties and rights that employees have on the job.

      • Dog 03/09/2018

        It could refer to lots of things, but physical facilities are certainly one of those things but this is often forgotten.

        • Woop 03/10/2018

          Not forgotten by employees suffering in a black mold infested cold environment. Or employees expected to take their breaks sitting on a box on the floor next to a stove in a kitchen. Or…

      • Dog 03/09/2018

        I guess my basic point is what has the Senate done, the Union done, the Admin Done , to improve the physical facilities aspect
        of the learning experience here at the UO. Most students are
        strapped into fixed seats in a filled classroom like sardines in a can exactly the same way as 30 years ago. Yes, there are some exceptions but they are small compared to the scale of the number of sardines that we must process.

        For instance, where
        on campus has a building been built that only contains state of the art Classrooms (oh yeah, OSU built one with 2200 classroom seats in it …)

        • Woop 03/10/2018

          Jock in the Box? But hard to know, as the upper floors are closed to public and faculty alike.

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