Last fall, I told the faculty senator representing my school that I was worried that our Faculty Senate was being taken over by the union. She assured me this was not the case. It appears she was wrong. It has now happened. So much for collegiality and shared governance.
Bob Daniels, longtime chair of the History department and a faculty senator, used to say when a member of the faculty was promoted up to the administration: there is no up from the faculty. And even though I spent 10 years as the dean of the University College, I agreed with him that the faculty is where you want to be. For those of us who like to teach, do research and provide service to our communities, OU faculty have the best jobs there are.
What I see is a small group of faculty members - a faculty union - wanting to be the ultimate decider on everything that goes on at OU, showing not the slightest concern for its effect on collegiality and shared participation of students, deans, civil service and administrative staff, community, and yes, trustees. First of all, I wouldn't trust that the faculty know how to run the university. But more significantly, the faculty have more important things to do in the teaching of students, in the creation of new knowledge and putting that knowledge to work in the community.
We can't afford to be in a polarizing war on this campus with a unionized Faculty Senate at odds with the rest of the community. We have a great university but it won't remain that way very long unless we get down to work, doing the things we were hired to do.
Don Flournoy is a professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies.
4 Opinion
