Timeline for Ideas on how to prevent a department from being shut down.
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
13 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 29, 2011 at 15:39 | comment | added | Tim Porter | In case someone in Amsterdam may find it useful, the UK's academic union has a website: ucu.org.uk A union cannot stop a university being stupid/nasty etc. bt can help organise. There are numerous situations (not in mathematics as such) at present in the UK where departments are under threat. | |
| Apr 29, 2011 at 15:23 | comment | added | Andy Putman | @Yiftach : There exists a national union in the USA, but it never really took off and (aside from a few schools) not many faculty are members of it. | |
| Apr 29, 2011 at 14:29 | comment | added | Yiftach Barnea | Both in Israel and the UK there are national unions of academic staff (although I am not sure about the exact definitions of whom can join them). I think, but not sure, that in the USA it varies from university to univesrity. Does any one know? | |
| Apr 29, 2011 at 12:47 | comment | added | Harry Gindi | Are university professors unionized? | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 16:54 | comment | added | Yiftach Barnea | Tilman, that is why I would like to see everyone taking part in this effort, especially the management of the university. Also, if you are not happy with your salary, you always have the option of looking for another position. So if THEY try to blackamil the emlopyees, THEY will be left only with the people who cannot leave. Anyhow, no system is perfect. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 16:41 | comment | added | Tilman | The solidarity principle with voluntary cuts in salaries is great, and I would favor it, but if this becomes the norm then the system might turn into a blackmailing scheme. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 15:51 | comment | added | Thierry Zell | This is all the more galling since the general public seems to equate "tenure" with "job for life". It's not, and I don't think it's ever been the case anyway. As a matter of fact, I've heard argued that the laws in some US states effectively void the legality of tenure, so that it's more an agreement than a binding disposition. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 14:50 | comment | added | JSE | That has been the practice here in Wisconsin, by the way -- the whole faculty (and in fact every state worker) takes a temporary pay cut, but hiring does not stop. (Though the percentage of salary cut is uniform, not gradated.) | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 13:41 | comment | added | Yiftach Barnea | In case of cuts I personally would prefer that everyone will have a reduction in salaries and I would like it to be progressive, e.g, 5% for the young postdoc and 15% for the principal. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 13:14 | comment | added | Steven Gubkin | How much does the "human resource manager" get payed? | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 13:01 | comment | added | Yiftach Barnea | THEY would like us to believe that cuts are necessary and the only way to achieve it is by firing people. Of course if this is the only option, then anyone would prefer that someone else will be fired and not them. But there are other options and to convince them to take the other options we need to act and talk in unity. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 12:06 | comment | added | Tim Porter | When THEY closed down maths at Bangor, in the meeting of the Senate on the closure it was clear there was some feeling of 'keep a low profile as that way the closure angel of death may pass by our house!'. | |
| Apr 28, 2011 at 11:32 | history | answered | Yiftach Barnea | CC BY-SA 3.0 |