The year in review via notable quotes from quotable notables around the FAU community.
December 30, 2009.
“I think this is an appropriate gesture and a gesture of solidarity with the rest of the university community.” –FAU Professor Fred Hoffman on President Frank Brogan’s postponement of 10% salary increase, Palm Beach Post, January 16, 2009.
“We’re not even in a position to vote up or down a salary increase because what has been offered to us is insufficient.” –James Tracy, on 1% salary increase offered to faculty by BOT for 2006-09 versus Brogan’s 10% salary increase, Palm Beach Post, January 16, 2009.
“You know that I do not, nor will I ever, deal with scenarios of horror just to make a point or frighten people … I’m going to begin using terminology I have not used to this point, like layoffs.” –FAU President Frank Brogan, Palm Beach Post, January 21, 2009.
“I feel he fully deserved an increase in salary.” –Board of Trustees Chairperson Nancy Blosser on a 10% salary increase for President Frank Brogan that would have brought his annual cash compensation to $357,000, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 22, 2009
“It will be simply impossible to absorb an additional $15 million reduction without impacting personnel. This next round of reductions will require those sorts of draconian actions.” –FAU President Frank Brogan, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, January 22, 2009.
“[Dean] Karl Stevens has made me aware of your work with our College of Engineering. I am interested in discussing with you a similar activity relating to the whole university.”–FAU Provost John Pritchett discussing prospective reorganization plan via email with former Burger King efficiency expert and FIU Visiting Assistant Professor Susan Clemmons, March 2, 2009.
“What we are facing are dramatic state reoccurring reductions [sic] and what we are looking at in federal assistance is a one-time injection of much needed dollars … I hate being the wet blanket when it comes to stimulus money. I’m trying to be a realist.”–FAU President Frank Brogan on federal stimulus money and 2009-10 Florida budget that subsequently left the state’s public university system with a 1% increase in funding, Palm Beach Post, March 21, 2009.
“The projected cost of a 2.5 percent increase for the 2008-2009 year is about $1.9 million, which should be considered the minimum salary increase needed to keep the faculty salaries competitive in the labor market. While Clearwire as a revenue source is not as stable as the state of Florida (which also obviously has its limitations relating to the revenues they receive), it is nonetheless ongoing and therefore is expected to be recurring.” –Decision of PERC Special Magistrate Joseph Schneider, unanimously rejected weeks later by FAU Board of Trustees under advisement of “Florida Super Lawyer” Michael Mattimore, and FAU President Frank Brogan, Palm Beach Post, March 25, 2009.
“We’ve been expanding in terms of administrative prowess but not in terms of being able to serve the students and the community.” –UFF-FAU President-elect James Tracy, commenting on findings of How is the Money Spent? study, Palm Beach Post, April 6, 2009.
“At this point, I don’t see much chance of avoiding it. Come July 1, our payroll will be larger than our entire budget.” –College of Engineering Dean Karl Stevens on scheme to lay off tenured faculty, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 8, 2009.
“It appears that the Magistrate misapprehended the fiscal data provided with regard to … recurring funds available from a lease agreement [with Clearwire Corporation, NASDAQ: CLWR, market capitalization: $5 billion], for the recommended wage increase.” –FAU Board of Trustees and Administration’s hired attorney, “Florida Super Lawyer” Michael Mattimore, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 11, 2009.
“The faculty was about ready to score on salaries, and the administration moved the goal post. The university sought to go to impasse and didn’t like the results, so they’re going to ignore the referee.” –UFF-FAU President-elect James Tracy on administration and BOT’s dismissal of PERC Special Magistrate’s recommendation on 2.5% salary increase, South Florida Sun Sentinel, April 20, 2009.
“One million dollars!” –FAU BOT Chair Nancy Blosser, Collective Bargaining Subcommittee “Hearing,” April 20, 2009, in midst of finger-wagging frenzy concerning amount of money from FAU’s $542 million budget that it would take to comply with PERC Special Magistrate’s recommendation on minimum 2.5% annual increase in faculty salaries, April 20, 2009.
“We think that it shows how out of touch the board of trustees is to the university’s needs and the needs of the faculty and retaining good faculty.” –UFF-FAU President-elect James Tracy on Board of Trustees refusal to abide by Special Magistrate’s recommendation on 2.5% across the board salary increase, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, April 21, 2009.
“Despite the recession, it’s hard for Florida Atlantic University to make the case that it can give the faculty only a 1 percent pay raise.” —Palm Beach Post Editorial, April 26, 2009.
“The specific element of organizational change isn’t part of a university’s culture, and it is always good to have a fresh set of eyes.” –FAU Provost John Pritchett on hiring Efficiency Expert Susan Clemmons at $150 per hour, Palm Beach Post, May 27, 2009.
“As we have discussed, as a result of reorganization of academic programs your faculty position is being eliminated … Thank you for your assistance as Associate Professor in our College. I wish you well.” –College of Engineering Dean Karl Stevens to anonymous tenured professor. FAU Layoff Notice, May 29, 2009.
“There can be no doubt it’s always painful to have to make decisions like these. But we all know that to continue to operate the university under its current economic structure is simply unsustainable.”–FAU President Frank Brogan on layoffs of five tenured faculty in College of Engineering, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 30, 2009.
“We have rules about layoffs. These are five tenured professors, people who’ve worked 15 years or more. Generally, tenure is for life, unless you’ve done something wrong.”–UFF-FAU Chief Bargaining Agent Sharmila Vishwasrao on layoffs of College of Engineering, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 30, 2009.
“[FAU College of Engineering] Dean Stevens started asking the hard questions of do we have duplications [sic], is there a better way to organize and improve efficiency?” –FAU Provost John Pritchett on layoff of tenured faculty in College of Engineering. Palm Beach Post, May 30, 2009.
“I intend to appear before the Board of Trustees this summer and declare that the employees who remain on the payroll have been scheduled for 100 percent productivity.” –FAU President Frank Brogan, Palm Beach Post, June 1, 2009.
“By terminating tenured faculty the FAU administration has sown the seeds of distrust and fear among those who carry on the institution’s most important work–teaching, research, and service.” —UFF-FAU President James Tracy, June 3, 2009.
“The COECS executive committee (which consists of the dean, associate deans and chairs and others) attended the two-day workshop with Dr. Susan Clemmons, the consultant hired to assist with reorganization. Clemmons organized a two day workshop to discuss college efficiency and faculty were not invited and did not attend the workshop.”–Summary of remarks by former College of Engineering Faculty Assembly Chair and Professor Nurgun Erdol to University Faculty Senate, June 5, 2009, UFS Minutes .
“If they need to do the layoffs, they need to lay off the appropriate people. They’re trying to get around the rule.” UFF-FAU Chief Bargaining Agent Sharmila Vishwasrao, Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog, June 9, 2009.
“The reorganization plan was developed for reasons primarily related to academics and budget, with the goal of defining a more sustainable future for the college in order to improve effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of programs [sic].” FAU Associate Provost Diane Alperin, Chronicle of Higher Education News Blog, June 9, 2009.
“This suggests changes in the traditional concept of tenure being rooted and based on a particular discipline. This could make FAU even less competitive within the state and nationally.” –FAU University Faculty Senate President Tim Lenz, Palm Beach Post, June 11, 2009.
“This president respects tenure as much as he did when he arrived. I need to go on the record saying that because I think if it will be a negative impact on this university it will be brought about by the rhetoric of those making the statement that this is an attack on tenure. The fact is it’s not, period. So the suspicions are misguided. FAU respects tenure as much as any other state university. As president of this university I want that quote entered into the record in a way that cannot be misunderstood and shouldn’t be accepted as anything but what I mean it to be [sic]. This university supports tenure. That’s a fact.” –FAU President Frank Brogan attempts to address glaring contradiction between laying off tenured faculty and respecting tenure, Palm Beach Post, June 11, 2009.
“We cannot, as a university, fight each other. We have to communicate and work together. We have to learn to try and work together and communicate and keep the tenor at a level that will be productive and bear productive fruit.” FAU Trustee Robert Stilley, Palm Beach Post, June 11, 2009.
“The creation of any other administrative or academic unit requires amendment to the bylaws. So the four ‘functional unit’ reorganization that has been proposed or implemented, depending on whom you speak to, has not followed the College Bylaws. Nor has this reorganization been presented to the University Faculty Senate, and, as previously mentioned, I believe that this is a matter of general university educational and academic policy and therefore it’s within the purview of the University Faculty Senate.” –FAU Faculty Senate President Tim Lenz to FAU BOT, June 17, 2009. A+B=C: The Fine Art of Breaking Tenure and Bypassing Faculty Governance.
“If the faculty is against the reorganization … and the Senate is against it why don’t we have a discussion with them before we approve the budget.” –FAU Trustee Rajendra Gupta on Faculty Senate President Tim Lenz’s objections to College of Engineering reorganization, June 17, 2009. A+B=C: The Fine Art of Breaking Tenure and Bypassing Faculty Governance.
“Based on the new reorganization, it didn’t work. That new reorganization was put together by the College of Engineering. A plus B equals C. I mean, obviously, the Faculty Senate is not happy whenever, you know, decisions are made, and changes to tenured faculty. But it just wasn’t gonna work with-within the new organization.”–FAU Trustee David Feder on layoff of five tenured faculty in College of Engineering, June 17, 2009. A+B=C: The Fine Art of Breaking Tenure and Bypassing Faculty Governance.
“The new structure of the CoECS is incomplete and needs to be revised taking academic input into consideration. The reorganization brought about sad changes causing the lay off of some of our excellent teachers and leaving courses without instructors. We register our concern for being excluded, for the uncertainty of the future of our college and for the unexpected lay offs that appear to be arbitrary.” –Engineering Professor and College of Engineering Faculty Assembly Chair Nurgun Erdol, Statement to Frank Brogan and FAU Board of Trustees, June 17, 2009.
“Your analogy is tending toward the disrespectful toward those of us who worked so hard [to pull off this reorganization without faculty governance oversight].” –FAU College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Karl Stevens to Engineering Professor and COECS Faculty Assembly Chair Nurgun Erdol at the June 17, 2009 Board of Trustees Meeting.
“As you probably know, cases of involuntary termination of tenure are potentially of central concern to AAUP because of our longstanding commitment to academic freedom and due process.” —Letter from AAUP Associate Secretary Anita Levy to FAU President Frank Brogan concerning abrupt layoff of five tenured College of Engineering faculty members, June 25, 2009.
“Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the faculty and administration of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the College’s recent restructuring created new efficiencies that limited faculty layoffs to only five, and no academic program or degree eliminations will be necessary. The students will be unharmed.”–Letter from FAU Associate Provost Diane Alperin to the AAUP’s Levy on behalf of FAU President Frank Brogan, July 7, 2009.
“I think Frank has had a great influence on Florida Atlantic University. His energy, enthusiasm and commitment to students and faculty has been a real asset. If those rumors are true, FAU would have really big shoes to fill.”–FAU Foundation chairman Michael Kaufman, on hearsay that Frank Brogan will abscond from FAU to fill SUS Chancellor position, South Florida Sun-Sentinel, June 30, 2009.
“We have the making of a national scandal. When a university breaks tenure, it is a threat to the integrity of the institution.”–UFF Statewide President Tom Auxter, Palm Beach Post, July 16, 2009.
“I would say the administration doesn’t trust faculty to participate in discussions about the future of the university,”–FAU Faculty Senate President Tim Lenz, Palm Beach Post, July 16, 2009.
“I will share your concerns with the chair of the Board of Governors, Sheila M. McDevitt, and with our new chancellor, Frank T. Brogan, when he comes to Tallahassee in his new job in a few weeks.” –Board of Governors Director of Communications Bill Edmonds’ response to President James Tracy on the prospect of Frank Brogan investigating layoffs of FAU tenured faculty Frank Brogan approved. Board of Governors Responds to UFF-FAU’s President Tracy, July 22, 2009.
“Our impression is that the administration did not anticipate the push back by the union and is now trying to backtrack through the rehiring of the faculty.”–UFF-FAU President James Tracy on FAU administration rehiring of laid-off faculty members. Palm Beach Post, August 4, 2009.
“They aren’t doing what they are trained to do.” –Raquel Fas Bravo, attorney representing laid-off Engineering professor Dolores Degroff, remarking on laid-off Engineering professors who accepted other FAU faculty positions.Palm Beach Post, August 4, 2009.
“The sentiments that the United Faculty of Florida shared with your office were also posted on their blog, and we are disappointed by the level of vitriol in their latest posting. Sadly, the value we place on tenure has been impugned by the negative characterizations by the United Faculty of Florida.” –FAU President Frank Brogan to Governor Charlie Crist, Palm Beach Post, August 4, 2009.
“In fact, when Brogan and the FAU Administration issued layoff notices to five College of Engineering faculty members on May 29 it committed an F-Troop style blunder in requiring that the professors vacate their offices by August 8, a move it sought to rescind a few weeks later to which Brogan refers.”–Brogan’s Missive Tells Just One Side of Story, UFF-FAU blog, August 5, 2009.
“We tried to keep it as consistent with his current contract as we could. Most of us believe it to be fair.”–Board of Governors Chairwoman Sheila McDevitt on Frank Brogan’s $450,000 pay package as SUS Chancellor. Palm Beach Post, August 6, 2009.
“The deal gone bad highlights how the board of trustees wants to run FAU like a business where money trumps almost everything else.” –UFF-FAU President James Tracy on Barry Kaye’s reneging on his $16 million gift and BOT vote to remove Kaye’s name from FAU Business College. Palm Beach Post, August 14, 2009.
“Just go!” –Anonymous FAU faculty member in UFF-FAU Faculty Survey on how FAU President Frank Brogan might immediately improve FAU. Palm Beach Post, August 31, 2009.
“Move to Iraq.” –Anonymous FAU faculty member in UFF-FAU Faculty Survey on how FAU President Frank Brogan might immediately improve FAU.
“Nevertheless, I always pay attention to these anonymous surveys and review them for constructive commentary.” –FAU President Frank Brogan, Palm Beach Post, August 31, 2009.
“It does not say that we’re not angry as hell at the administration of which Frank Brogan heads.” –FAU Math Professor Fred Hoffman on Faculty Senate’s laudatory send-off for Frank Brogan, Palm Beach Post, September 4, 2009.
“‘Thank you’ is an overused word. We say thank you to everyone all the time. But as much as I thought, as much as I toiled, I can’t do better than that.”–FAU President Frank Brogan’s tearful farewell to FAU. Palm Beach Post, September 9, 2009.
“It goes without saying that Frank Brogan will be missed here at FAU, but there can be no doubt that he is leaving the university better than he found it and well positioned to be moving forward.”–BOT Trustee Chair Nancy Blosser, Palm Beach Post, September 9, 2009.
“He was a people-person and truly cared for the university community.” –2007 FAU Alum Rick Smith, Palm Beach Post, September 9, 2009.
“Times are tough and belts need to be tightened but that doesn’t mean it’s open season on old guys.” –William Amlong, attorney representing former Vice President for Research Gerald Goldberger, who filed federal lawsuit on behalf of Goldberger against FAU for age discrimination. Palm Beach Post, September 10, 2009.
“It means more to me than anything. It’s a fitting way to end my tenure here.” –FAU President Frank Brogan on “Final Run” photo op. Palm Beach Post, September 10, 2009.
“Only at FAU would you find an inexperienced assistant professor from another institution developing the ‘Vision’ for the University.” “Peter Bonith,” anonymous blog post, Palm Beach Post, September 15, 2009.
“And [FAU student opinion] is–it is–a rich source. I mean, y’know, they are in the middle of it. They know exactly what’s goin’ on and not goin’ on. So from that perspective–But it’s also one in–two–y’know, twenty-six thousand students. So, y’know, it’s not necessarily a commonly held view. Y’know, just be smart about it. Y’know. No, if you want to find out what’s going on ask the students, because they know, and they’ll tell ya. And–I’m not gonna–right now we’re gonna talk about the Strategic Plan a lil’ bit but when we get to the Vision session you’ll notice the themes that you guys talked about in your feedback, the themes that are coming out in the Strategic Plan, and the themes that we’ve been doing in the cafes are all the same, which is amazing …”–$150.00 per-hour efficiency expert and FIU Visiting Assistant Professor Susan Clemmons who had recently billed FAU for $40,000, responding to FAU Trustees’ remarks on how they infrequently and anonymously gauge FAU students’ perspectives concerning faculty and university effectiveness. FAU BOT Retreat, “Reflection to Vision” (audio, 36:23-35:43) September 22-23, 2009.
“You now have two people you will be watching casually and at the end of the retreat we will ask you if you knew who your secret admirers were.” –Efficiency expert Clemmons to BOT members at September BOT Retreat. Palm Beach Post, September 22, 2009.
“How is [faculty] morale?” Question FAU BOT members pondered momentarily at September BOT Retreat. Palm Beach Post, September 21, 2009.
“Improve relations w/faculty.” –Reason to delay hiring new FAU president, spotted by Post reporter on easel next to FAU Interim President John Pritchett at September FAU BOT Retreat. Palm Beach Post, September 23, 2009.
“I don’t agree there was turmoil between President Brogan and the faculty. I didn’t see turmoil and I’m in the middle of it everyday [sic].” –FAU Interim President Pritchett, Palm Beach Post, September 23, 2009.
“Okay — let’s go ahead and meet to select an arbitrator. Call Erma [Bennett] to schedule.” –FAU Interim Provost Diane Alperin to FAU Grievance Chair Doug Broadfield on appointment concerning UFF Chapter Grievance regarding layoff of tenured Engineering professors that Alperin later instructed Bennett not to make, October 2, 2009.
“Throughout my tenure at FAU, I have made a consistent effort to be available to faculty, staff and students, and always strive to make decisions that are in the best interests of the College.” –College of Engineering Dean Karl Stevens, Palm Beach Post, November 22, 2009.
“The administration sometimes saves the dirty work for summertime, when the faculty can’t mobilize.” –James Tracy, UFF-FAU President, Palm Beach Post, November 22, 2009.
“The focus (for faculty) is diverted from research and academics to worrying about the next move and who is close to the dean.” –Anonymous College of Engineering faculty member. Palm Beach Post, November 22, 2009.