A University Senate committee gave its first report after a 12-year hiatus, prompting faculty to raise concerns about shared governance and transparency in Syracuse University’s administration.

Speaking to senators in Maxwell Auditorium Wednesday evening, the Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff detailed its efforts to work with the Office of Human Resources and obtain updates on the university’s buyout program. What resulted was a plethora of complaints voiced by faculty in attendance.

On Nov. 19, the university announced that the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program, which provides counseling services confidentially like the Counseling Center, would soon be led by a third-party organization. Sharon Hollenback, chair of the Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff, said the FSAP director retired recently; whether or not it was a part of the buyout is unclear.

“It just seems quite surprising that it’s closing without any public information besides a 1-800 number telling us how the services would work,” one senator said, to which Hollenback replied that the committee has been unable to get further updates on the program from the administration.

Similar concerns were raised when SU restructured sexual assault services — including the closure of the Advocacy Center — in summer 2014. SU community members criticized the administration, saying the decision lacked university-wide input.

A senator, who said she sits on the committee to choose the third-party provider, said the committee has identified three possible organizations to replace the FSAP. She added that an update should be given soon.

Hollenback also noted that the committee needs to establish regular communication with Human Resources and that there’s no one from the administration who permanently sits on the committee.

Several senators expressed concern that there is a pattern developing where administrators fail to work with University Senate committees.

“I find this very troubling. On the budget committee, we’ve repeatedly had problems getting information out of different sources who used to report to the budget committee over the years,” said Bruce Carter, former chair of the Senate Agenda Committee. “I don’t know if this is just a disregard for the Senate committees, if it’s a way that people are being empowered to behave, but it does not reflect what I would think transparency of the sort that the chancellor has spoken about. It’s not shared governance at all.”

Carter added that Human Resources was unable to provide the budget committee with the number of full-time and part-time faculty at the university — something he said he was confused about, believing it was a function of their job.

 

Craig Dudczak, a former chair of the Senate Budget Committee, echoed the same idea of upholding faculty governance, saying the Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff should shed light on issues the administration may be unaware of. When Dudczak presented a report on the university’s budget in 2014, he mentioned the budget committee couldn’t obtain a variety of information they had access to in the past.

In a letter dated Sept. 23, the Committee on Services to Faculty and Staff called on Chancellor Kent Syverud to release more information on the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program, a program offered to staff members whose age and years of service combined are equal to or greater than 65.

“We are worried because we find morale low and uneasiness high among staff in particular,” the letter stated. “We feel strongly that SU needs a progress report of what was accomplished with VSIP and what are the next steps.”

Hollenback noted that Syverud gave a useful report at the November Senate meeting, including the update that the university wouldn’t have to make any layoffs.

But several questions in their request to the chancellor remain unanswered, such as how many people took the buyout, estimated savings the VSIP will generate for SU, if any gaps were created from employees who left and other details. Hollenback said the SU community — not just the University Senate — should receive another update on the status of the buyouts.

Shortly before the meeting ended, Deborah Pellow, former chair of the Senate Committee on the Library, asked if there will be any updates on the search for a new vice chancellor and provost.

Syverud said the search committee is working in an “intense stage right now.” An update on the committee’s progress could be released in January and a candidate will probably be chosen during the spring semester, he said.

“That process does take longer than some processes for some other searches in other areas — athletics comes to mind,” Syverud said.

Other business discussed:

•  The Chancellor’s Workgroup on Diversity and Inclusion will have a forum in the Goldstein Auditorium on Dec. 7 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Francine D’Amico, co-chair of the Senate LGBT Committee, said community members have the opportunity voice how they feel SU can become more inclusive.

• More than 10 new courses were added to the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, including, CFS 474: Promises and Problems in Youth and Emerging Adulthood, SPM 303: Price Theory in Sports and SWK 403: Social Work and the Human-Animal Bond, among others.

Published on December 2, 2015 at 11:01 pm

Contact Annie: apalme05@syr.edu