Say What?

The results of the faculty poll are out and approximately 60% of the faculty that voted indicated that it had little or no confidence " in the ability of central administration to lead us through the tough challenges we face now and in the foreseeable future."

Check out the Wildcat article here: "Seven of the 10 poll questions asked faculty for their opinions on the upper administration’s faculty support, transparency and handling of the UA transformation. In all seven such questions, results showed faculty favoring the answers denouncing Shelton and Hay."

UA Defender also has some statistics and commentary.

President Shelton has already written a response to the campus community (we won't even discuss that the link again ends in "press comm", leading us to believe that it's not for the university community at all): "While we have attempted to be as transparent in this process as possible, it is apparent that we need to do more, both in sharing details of the monumental budget dilemma that we face, and in engaging our faculty in the search for solutions."

Well, yeah. It's about time. Although, isn't this the same rhetoric we heard last year in just about every press communication the administration sent out?
Feel free to read them for yourself. Here are a few highlights:

• June 27, 2008: "That process takes time and must be handled carefully with considered and timely input from faculty and staff, but it is a necessary component of the prioritization of our strategic objectives, which is what underpins our budget allocations."

• Sept. 3, 2008: "Change is never easy. At a university as complex as the UA, real change cannot occur without input and support from a wide range of groups, primarily our faculty and our staff. With that in mind, Provost Hay has appointed several committees that will address a range of important issues, from how we can restructure ourselves across our colleges and departments, to how we offer our curriculum and reward excellence in teaching, to how we make the right decisions on strategic research investments, to the structural changes that would both save money and make us stronger academically."

• Jan. 28, 2009: "While it may seem a bit cliché, it is nevertheless true that the faculty are the heart of our University. It is the strength of our faculty that establishes our reputation as a premier international institution. Our entire University community – students, staff, visitors, alumni, donors, and supporters across the state – collectively benefit from, and are inspired by, the work of our faculty. Regardless of the outcome of the budget deliberations, we are committed to maintain a world-class faculty and to strategically invest in those core areas of greatness that will propel the UA into the coming decades."

• February 2, 2009: "We deeply appreciate the commitment, determination and resilience demonstrated by faculty and staff on a daily basis. This is a difficult time, but the faculty and staff of The University of Arizona have shown that by being creative and innovative, by working harder and smarter, we can continue to set a standard for universities around the world to emulate."

Is the new press release a lot like the other empty promises we've become accustomed to hearing?

In Free Speech and Intimidation News:

Despite Evan Lisull and Jacob Miller's arrests, students continued to chalk across campus today.



According to the Wildcat and the AZ Star, the charges against the two free-speechers may be dropped: "Shelton has suggested students be referred to the Dean of Students Office as a possible code of conduct violation."











*These photos are from Monday afternoon. We do not know who marked on the vertical surfaces.

Although it is a relief that the criminal charges may be dismissed, a referral to the Dean of Students is still punishment for something that was not a violation of the rules. Lisull and Miller only admitted to chalking on the ground. Our reading of the code of conduct (Part F: Prohibited conduct) couldn't locate any violation involving the reasonable expression of free speech by marking on the ground in a non-permanent way. In fact, we couldn't find any prohibition of writing on walls, either.

From the Chalking Back blog: "If reflected upon for moment, one can see the same insidious tactic is at play: students will continue to be targeted for speech act violations. This is not over, and I implore all colleagues not to let up on this issue; as it stands now, our students will no longer have the same right to speech as faculty. "

If you'd like to get involved in the cause, Arizona for Education will be holding a meeting Tuesday at 7:30pm at the Bookend Cafe.