Today, the chancellor attended an MSP Board meeting, spoke briefly, and then answered questions. People asked questions about a number of issues, principally related to problems on campus and about his vision for the campus. Toward the end, I had an opportunity to ask my question.
Before he arrived, we'd been talking about potential questions and another faculty member mentioned that in a Boston Globe article from a few days ago, UMass lecturer says school is punishing her, appears this quote:
The school, McCormick said, has been trying for years to raise its ratio of tenure-track faculty to adjuncts, a move that would increase, not decrease, academic freedom on campus, since tenured faculty by definition cannot be fired for their opinions. It has declined to reappoint six lecturers since 2009.
So I finished my question with that.
The chancellor categorically stated that this was not his position and that everyone engaged in the academic enterprise, even TAs, deserves at least some measure of academic freedom. It remains to be seen whether the chancellor will follow his statement with action that empowers non-tenure-system faculty and makes clear that the University values them. But I was encouraged -- its a big change from last time.
- Steven D. Brewer's blog
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