Engineering Dean Karl Stevens Slammed in UFF-FAU Faculty Survey, Professors Call for Dean’s Immediate Resignation

Karl Stevens, Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, received an overall poor rating among Engineering faculty taking part in the 2009 UFF-FAU Annual Assessment of Administrators circulated to faculty in April. Of all nine deans evaluated by FAU faculty Stevens received the worst marks by 20 professors who participated in the survey, which represents about 25% of faculty in the College. On May 29 Stevens terminated five tenured Engineering faculty members, requesting that they vacate their offices by August 8th.

The Survey consists of seven questions with numerical indicators denoting degrees of agreement or disagreement on a sliding scale with “5” for “Strongly Agree,” “4” for “Agree,” “3” for “Neutral,” “2” for “Disagree,” “1” for “Strongly Disagree,” and “0” for “Don’t Know.” Question 8 uses an identically numbered scale to assess the question, “OVERALL, the Dean/Director is:” with valuations “5,” for Excellent,” “4” for “Above Average,” “3” for “Average,” “2” for “Below Average,” “1” for “Poor,” and “0” for “Do Not Know.”

The questions and tabulations for College of Engineering faculty members’ assessment of Dean Karl Stevens’ administrative skills are the lowest of all FAU College Deans or Directors. Stevens’ survey results are as follows:

1. Consults faculty/staff before making important decisions: 1.55 (Disagree/Strongly Disagree)
2. Upholds academic standards and maintains a scholarly atmosphere: 1.8 (Disagree)
3. Makes personnel decisions in a professional, unbiased manner: 1.55 (Disagree/Strongly Disagree)
4. Uses faculty governance processes to make decisions: 1.3 (Strongly Disagree)
5. Distributes discretionary money fairly: 1.55 (Disagree/Strongly Disagree)
6. Is a good administrator: 2.1 (Disagree)
7. Is an effective leader who promotes the college/unit: 1.7 (Disagree)
8. Overall, the dean/Director is: 1.5 (Below Average/Poor)

A total of 11 respondents (55%) provided answers to an open ended question as follows:

9. The university would be better served if the Dean/Director would __________________:

• “Step down, and clean up his staff.”
• “Defend the College and stand up against attempts to dismantle it.”
• “Be replaced immediately.”
• “Resign/Retire early.”
• “Resign immediately.”
• “Be fired.”
• “Retire.”
• “Resign.”
• “Resign immediately.”
• “Obtain faculty approval on policy and organizational changes.”
• “Be replaced.”

Five respondents provided remarks concerning Dean Stevens’ performance in an “Additional Comments” area of the survey immediately below the above nine questions. The remarks are as follows:

• *”His handling of the budget crisis shows great incompetence and mental laziness. His politics cannot be trusted. He allows the financial persons to have ‘way too much’ power!!”
• “The ‘reorganization of the College that has been taking place during Spring ’09 has had no faculty input and in fact Stevens seems hostile towards any questions or dissent regarding the matter.”
• “Resign forthwith siince he does not listen to, appreciate the dedication and contribution of the faculty, neither care for the faculty input and interest of the faculty- complete mismanagement of the college resources- he only promotes his self interest and his fortunes.”
• “Disaster handling of the budget cuts: College reorganization & layoff of many tenured faculty is very ill-conceived. Instead of defending the College from teh administration, he chose to become Faculty Enemy #1.”
• “This dean’s ‘tenure’ has had lasting disasterous consequences on the College.”

Results of the UFF-FAU 2009 Survey for President Frank Brogan, Provost John Pritchett, and FAU’s remaining College Deans will be tabulated over the next few weeks, with results to be made available in mid-to-late August.