A Second U. of Iowa Professor, Accused of Harassment, Kills Himself

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The Chronicle: A Second U. of Iowa Professor, Accused of Harassment, Kills Himself

A University of Iowa music professor who was accused in a federal lawsuit last week of sexually harassing one of his students killed himself on Wednesday, according to news reports.

Mark O. Weiger, who had taught oboe and chamber music at the university since 1988, was found dead in his car in his garage, The Des Moines Register reported. The professor left suicide notes, and an autopsy confirmed the cause of death as carbon-monoxide poisoning, police officials in Iowa City told the newspaper.

Mr. Weiger’s death follows that of a political-science professor, Arthur H. Miller, who was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound less than three months ago, after he was accused of offering better grades to female students in exchange for sexual favors (The Chronicle, August 24).

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Posted in Faculty

Wilberforce University, facing $2.8 million shortfall, to cut jobs, salaries

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Dayton Daily News: Wilberforce University, facing $2.8 million shortfall, to cut jobs, salaries

Wilberforce University plans to cut jobs and reduce salaries in response to a $2.8 million budget shortfall for the current academic year, the university’s interim president said.

Wilberforce will cut six to eight staff positions starting Friday, Nov. 14, said Patricia Hardaway, interim president. There are no plans to cut faculty positions. The salary cuts will total $850,000. “Those are across the board, starting with me,” Hardaway said. Wilberforce’s total annual operating budget was $15.6 million before the cuts.

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Posted in Budgets & Funding

News from an alternative universe…In Alternative Universe: Iraq War Ends — Bush Indicted For Treason

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The Chronicle: In Alternative Universe: Iraq War Ends — Bush Indicted For Treason

The Yes Men media pranksters have claimed responsibility for a million-copy spoof edition of The New York Times handed out yesterday on Manhattan streets.

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Posted in Commentary

After 50 Years, Suffolk U.’s President Has a Big Pay Day

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The Chronicle: After 50 Years, Suffolk U.’s President Has a Big Pay Day

The nation’s highest-compensated college chief is David J. Sargent, Suffolk University’s veteran president, according to The Chronicle’s latest survey of executive pay.

Mr. Sargent’s total compensation of $2,800,461 in 2006-7 topped that of 784 presidents of public and private universities, as well as of 64 community colleges. Officials at Suffolk say the figures, which are the most recent available, include $436,000 in base pay and a $436,000 longevity bonus. His benefits included a $1,190,000 deferred sabbatical bonus, $555,667 in deferred compensation, a performance bonus of $87,200, and $56,262 in health, dental, and other retirement benefits.

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Posted in Salary/Economic Benefits

As Economy Sours, Presidential Pay Draws Increased Scrutiny

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The Chronicle: As Economy Sours, Presidential Pay Draws Increased Scrutiny

The price of leadership continues to rise in higher education, particularly for public-university presidents. According to The Chronicle’s latest survey of executive compensation, median pay and benefits rose 7.6 percent in 2007-8, to $427,400, for the leaders of 184 public research universities.

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Posted in Economics, Salary/Economic Benefits

Call for Proposals: Rouge Forum Conference 2009

Posted on November 12, 2008 by | Comments Off on Call for Proposals: Rouge Forum Conference 2009

Rouge Forum Conference 2009

CALL FOR PROPOSALS


Education, Empire, Economy & Ethics at a Crossroads

Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, MI

May 14-17, 2009

The theme for the 2009 Rouge Forum Conference is: “Education, Empire, Economy & Ethics at a Crossroads: What Do We Need to Know and How Can We Come to Know It?”

Bringing together academic presentations and performances (from some of the most prominent voices for democratic, critical, and/or revolutionary pedagogy), panel discussions, community-building, and cultural events, this action-oriented conference will center on questions such as:

✴What is the nature of the crossroads, where do the different paths lead, what are our choices and how do we implement them?

✴What does education for liberation look like compared to education for empire? Class struggle?

✴Are we at a turning point in history? Has the rightward shift stopped or will the economic crisis push the ruling class towards fascism?

✴What are the implications of 2008 election ballot initiatives?

✴How do education, empire, economy, ethics, and democracy intersect in classrooms and schools?

✴How do we learn and teach to get from where we are to where we need to be?

✴How can we educate to liberate ourselves from the impact of empire? OR, How are we teaching to push back the imperializing of our classrooms?

✴How do we stand up for the correctness of our ideas?

✴How does change happen (individually, within a school, within a district)?

✴What support, what conditions facilitate teachers being willing to take the step towards correct action?

To learn more about the conference, please contact any of our conference organizers:

Joe Bishop (joe.bishop@emich.edu)
Greg Queen (rumbagarden@ameritech.net)
Adam Renner (arenner@bellarmine.edu)
Wayne Ross (wayne.ross@ubc.ca)
Rich Gibson (rgibson@pipeline.com)

Submissions:

Review of Paper Proposals treating any of the above questions will begin 1 February 2009. Please send a 250-500 word proposal to Joe Bishop (joe.bishop@emich.edu), describing your work/project/manuscript, how it connects to one of the conference questions, and what participants might take away from attending your session. Classroom teachers and students are strongly encouraged to send their proposals.

Performance Proposals should also be forwarded to Joe Bishop (joe.bishop@emich.edu) by December 15, 2008. Please describe your art/performance and how it may relate to the conference topic/questions.

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Posted in CFPs

6-6 Course Loads and No Benefits

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Inside Higher Ed: 6-6 Course Loads and No Benefits

In the last year, there have been some notable successes for part-time faculty members pushing for better wages and benefits. Through unions, legislative hearings and political activism, the issue of part timers’ treatment has started to capture the attention not just of faculty activists, but of university administrators, too.

But what about states where adjuncts are plentiful but not unionized, where they must rely on good will more than political clout to win improvements in their wages and benefits? The situation at these campuses rarely makes headlines or even the agendas of board meetings.

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Posted in Contingent labor, Salary/Economic Benefits, Working conditions

U. of Phoenix Settles Discrimination Suit for $1.9-Million

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The Chronicle: U. of Phoenix Settles Discrimination Suit for $1.9-Million

The University of Phoenix and its parent company, Apollo Group Inc., will pay nearly $1.9-million to people who worked as online enrollment counselors and alleged in a federal lawsuit that the giant for-profit university discriminated against non-Mormon employees.

The payment will help settle a lawsuit that was filed two years ago in U.S. District Court in Phoenix by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the counselors (The Chronicle, September 29, 2006). The lawsuit accuses the University of Phoenix of giving employees who belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the most promising “leads,” the industry term for information on prospective students. It also alleges that lesser-qualified Mormon counselors were promoted ahead of their non-Mormon counterparts, and that tuition waivers were granted to Mormon employees who failed to meet registration goals but withheld from non-Mormon workers, among other charges.

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Posted in Corporate University, Employment rights, Equity, Legal issues

Cal State Northridge student released on bail in Iran

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Los Angeles Times: Cal State Northridge student released on bail in Iran

Esha Momeni was arrested last month while working on a master’s thesis about women’s rights. She still faces charges of ‘acting against national security,’ which could bring a lengthy prison term.

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Posted in Students

Washington: Ex-WSU provost assigned to Tri-City campus

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Seattle Times: Ex-WSU provost assigned to Tri-City campus

Washington State University announced Monday that former provost Steven Hoch will work at the Tri-City campus in January as a history instructor.

Hoch stepped down as provost in September after just seven weeks on the job as provost to take a personal leave after a shoving incident with another administrator. His term as provost ended Oct. 31 after he and WSU President Elson Floyd agreed he should not remain as provost.

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Posted in Administration

‘Free Market’ for Higher Ed

Posted on November 11, 2008 by | Comments Off on ‘Free Market’ for Higher Ed

Inside Higher Ed: ‘Free Market’ for Higher Ed

Larry Johnson is a self-described “entrepreneur from hell,” so it’s of little surprise that the University of Cincinnati dean likes the plan for a new budgeting system on campus.

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Posted in Corporate University

Striking on York University’s Frontlines

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The Dissenter: Striking on York University’s Frontlines

The strike at York University is making national headlines. It is making both students and university administration very nervous, and it is also creating much undue hostility.

The media coverage of the strike is nothing but unfavourable. City TV and CBC news focus mainly on the delays in traffic caused by picketers and provide ample information that happens to coincide with the information provided by York University. The Toronto Star has gone so far as to declare York University’s proposal “reasonable,” and great emphasis is being put upon the fact that York’s graduate students are among the most financially privileged in the country.

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes

York University students concerned about their future if strike drags on

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CP24.com: York University students concerned about their future if strike drags on

As the strike by over 3,000 teaching assistants, contract faculty members and graduate researchers continues at York University, many students are beginning to worry about how the labour dispute will affect their plans for the summer, or even worse – their life.

Final-year teacher’s college student Elli Alekasiri has already bought a house with her husband, anticipating that she’ll graduate and get a job as a teacher in September.

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes, Students

South Australian teachers to strike

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Sydney Morning Herald: South Australian teachers to strike

South Australian teachers will strike for a full day later this month if the extended industrial action in their pay dispute is supported by a statewide ballot.

Australian Education Union (AEU) delegates met Thursday and approved the one-day strike on November 21, the last day of the year 12 exams.

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes

South Australia: Next teachers’ strike set for Nov 21

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ABC News: Next teachers’ strike set for Nov 21

South Australia’s public school teachers will vote on a proposal for a full-day strike on November 21 and rolling half-day stoppages for the rest of the term.

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes

Kenya: Teachers renew threat to strike

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Daily Nation: Teachers renew threat to strike

A nationwide teachers’ strike looms following the recent collapse of salary increment talks between the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the government.

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes

Ontario: Striking York staff ‘fighting a lost cause’

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National Post: Striking York staff ‘fighting a lost cause’

Some undergraduate students at York University, thrown out of class by a union seeking an 11% pay hike over two years, say they’re being held hostage.

“I feel like they’re fighting a lost cause, especially because of the economic situation right now,” said fourth-year political science student Goli Khalili, calling the workers’ demands “unrealistic.”

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Posted in Strikes & Labor Disputes

Ontario: CUPE working to gain student support to increase its clout

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The Globe and Mail: CUPE working to gain student support to increase its clout

Union leaders, working to set the stage for provincewide bargaining at Ontario universities in 2010, planned to gain student support for their cause with campus barbecues, pub nights and protests against rising tuition fees, internal planning documents show.

The union strategy, developed by a group within the Canadian Union of Public Employees, calls for contracts of CUPE workers to expire at the same time as a way to increase bargaining clout.

The demand for such a two-year deal is a central issue in the strike at York University, which has halted classes for 50,000 students since Thursday. That dispute involves teaching assistants, contract faculty and graduate assistants who are CUPE members.

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Posted in Organizing, Students, Unions

Faculty at Massachusetts colleges decry salary levels

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The Republican: Faculty at Massachusetts colleges decry salary levels

For years, faculty at the state’s colleges and the University of Massachusetts have argued for raises they say they need to keep up with their peers.

This year, as faculty unions and the state negotiated contracts to replace those that expired in June, the unions said salary offers were still falling short – and now the failing economy is putting even modest gains on hold.

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Posted in Salary/Economic Benefits

Ontario: Unions lose ‘bargaining clout’ in hard times

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Toronto Star: Unions lose ‘bargaining clout’ in hard times

Faltering economy to keep lid on wage hikes

For 42,000 Ontario government employees who started contract talks last week, negotiations likely couldn’t have come at a worse time.

The global financial crisis that has laid waste to stock markets and brought banking giants to their knees also is hitting government coffers.

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Posted in Unions