LOGS Meeting: Monday, February 23, 2009 12 noon, 3^rd Street Lecture Hall

 

 

In Attendance: Approx. 25-35? grad and undergrad students, President Chris Bratton, Dean of Academic Affairs Okwui Enwezor, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Jennifer Stein, Vice President of Enrollment and Academic Affairs Audrey Tanner, and Associate Vice President of Student Affairs Brian Carlisle.

**Note on abbreviations: 'B' is for Chris Bratton, 'S' is for Student, 'O' is for Okwui Enwezor, and 'J' is for Jennifer Stein**

 

Chirs Bratton gives letter announcing layoff for 9 of 38 tenured Faculty, declares this as official notice to school.

 

Chris Bratton:  Navigating through financial problems, economic ‘climate’, etc. Reiterates the following:

1. Need for rapid action within unfolding national and SFAI specific situation. Working with attention to integrity of institution and preservation of jobs.

2. They are bound by series of contractual obligations, i.e. Faculty union contract.

 

LOGS: Requests statement be read first and follows with reading prepared statement, which everyone has a copy of.

 

B: (half way through) seems not to be reading along with questions and objectives?... maybe he’s thinking...?

 

 

LOGS: The students gathered here and want answers, will you answer this statement?

 

 

 

B: Refuses to answer point by point statement.

 

B: We should be transparent across the board. We have not walked away from the bargaining table or shut down negotiations.  Delaying has been a strategy taken by the unions.

-Two things: short-term problem is not a deficit; we are doing well in operating budget

Long term, bringing overall finances into new cost structure.

-Beginning Feb 1^st: new reductions begin for union Staff and Faculty 25% at top, 0% below 40,000. Others have taken voluntary reductions in salary and benefits.

-All of the options have been taken, regrettable but unavoidable.  We do not have time to wait.

-Employees who will not work together to resolve issues...

-This is not business as usual, there is not any institution that is getting out of problems.

 

-Fundamental reorganization of entire economic order in the USA.  We must be decisive and take action, leave behind old prejudices.  Old views of opposition and antagonization have to go away.

 

 

Student: Have visiting been laid off?

 

 

 

B: classes have been reduced, restricted in the past...

 

We met with Fac senate to explain this, met w/SU and LOGS in past weeks

 

O: Visiting Fac. in contract, can teach up to 3-6 loads over 5 yrs, have had visiting Fac. increase load... Fac. body is self-governing, able to choose full classes or not... we’ve allowed max latitude to Fac. members. Tenured have always had priority over visitors, this has never been contradicted.

 

S: What will happen...work less amount, fewer classes or how work load be distributed?

 

B: allowed to teach full time, no restrictions...

2 cases for low enrollment- visiting Fac. class will be cancelled and given priority to tenured Fac.

 

 

S: Why financial exigency? Why not explained with official documents?

 

 

 

B: There are documents... Financial Exigency is a term of ‘art’, not legal... defined within contracts, in collective bargaining agreement... for us it is a simple matter of cash solvency.  If we are in danger of not meeting our cash solvency, we must take drastic measures, otherwise it can put institution in financial jeopardy.

 

S: Yes agree there are problems, dramatic impact on fiscal side, what does this mean for future?

 

B: I said in SU last week. This is about addressing economic situation and building long term plan, sustainable economic framework for institution.  Maintain quality and integrity of academic programs...  We’ve made an investment in faculty over last years and academic programs...  Can speak for board, we are here to ensure SFAI’s life for next 100+ years, we are trying to build lasting institution...  Problem transcends now... been in financial fragility for 40years.  It is time to leave that behind...

 

S: Alternate ways to collaborate? Meetings, evaluations, etc.?

 

B: We’ve had round of meetings, Under and grad reps on board, privy to much of information.  I welcome new ideas for communication.  Obviously, these are proprietary issues in regards to certain employment...

 

S: Course evaluation forms, have they been considered?

 

B: Rubric has seniority and distortion of curriculum as key points in decision-making.

 

S: What does it require to get out of financial exigency? Cash flow, how do we improve endowment?

 

B: ...survey in US economic problem says no substantial recovery in US for another year, markets won’t recover for a while, credit tight 12-14months, unemployment up to 9% in next 12-18months.  How are we addressing: learning to live within new cash reality, modest growth in revenue.  Good fall enrollment, significant improvement of cash flow... Potential for looking at entirely new cash world...

 

S: How is the endowment built?

 

 

B: .5 mil donation- painting studio and scholarships putting into low interest bonds while markets are still up in the air.  We are raising money for endowment and trying to bring it back into operating budget.  Tuition and philanthropy = our money. 

 

S: Elaborate on your idea of academic integrity?

 

B: The quality of your experience as students, about the mix of SFAI related to art-making and conversations, theory, thinking, etc. that go along with that.

 

 

S: Is laying off faculty avoidable?

 

 

 

B: We’ve tried and we’ve cut back, every stone has gone unturned.

 

 

S: Concerned about financial exigency, what does this mean for facilities?  Facilities at 3^rd street under equipped, gives story of printing and running out of ink, no ink on campus... how does this fit into me paying lots of $$?  Fin. Exigency has impacts on this?

 

 

Okwui Enwezor: did you go to chestnut?

 

S: ...interrupted by Okwui

 

 

O: If ink runs out, can’t you work at Chestnut campus? This is a temporary issue, if you look at the overall; how often has this happened?

 

 

 

S: Too many times, we (students) can all agree with this.

 

Jen Stein: This is a problem of ordering, preparation, etc, not the budget...

 

S: What about the short-term maintaining academic integrity, class size with larger enrollment?  already a scramble for classes, how is this going to be affecting new students, us needing classes?  Double class sizes? How do/did you figure this out?

 

 

J: Looking at overall course schedule... Fac are not hired as undergrad or grad Fac, teach across. Looking at reduction, looking closely at all required courses being taught, maintaining needed courses.  We are trying to reach agreement in sharing burden of cost reduction, we are not eliminating programs, cutting large things but trying to look across the board so that impact is minimal to non-existent.  We make adjustments, try to be subtle.

 

 

S: What about anti-labor firm?

 

B (upset): Littler is not a union busting firm, they have been characterized as such, if you want to listen to certain Faculty... The union has done their best to secure highest powered attorneys... We will come to table w/out lawyers, union won’t.

 

O: They were already here...

 

J: Littler Mendelson only represents management; union uses an only union firm.

 

 

B: We are unusual, go to AAUP website, only SFAI represented by AAUP, only 4 institutions in US are... The idea that we haven’t tolerated or worked w/union for years is no good.  Anti-union or union, old narratives about management, labor, and antagonism, are a problem and we must think beyond these ideas.

 

 

S: I believe everyone is trying to work together, how do you quantify photo and film are being changed so drastically, how does JCL gone change the curriculum of photo and film?

 

 

B: we won’t discuss specific people here...

 

O: ~unclear beginning comments~ We are the only Inst. where you can process own film, too expensive w/reduced #’s...  [J: Photo down 2/3 in use...] we need to maintain idea that these are still viable.  As art changes, and people seek new; school must adjust to provide for new things, we value them (old ways) and feel that these things make us unique.  At SFAI, you can study across landscape of the history of filmmaking. Bear in mind, we are committed to teach across spectrum of history of mediums (film in particular) we’ve inherited plan calling for expansion of academic programs, 4yrs. ago 7 departments, how does this represent breadth and depth?  We’ve opened ourselves up to wider context of education... for the 1^st time in 30yrs we’ve made new programs... the business of teaching is changing... there are new opportunities of knowledge.  We want to bring together knowledge ecology... w/o this understanding you can’t learn... Interdisciplinary program allows us to teach across board of educational possibilities.  We know you’re concerned about curriculum.  We see value of small classes, etc. we want to maintain that.  Some choices are not economically sound but pedagogically sound, these two must be brought together.

 

S: Your answers are useful...we(students) are able to and have come up w/questions, will you acknowledge our questions? We will always have disagreements, I feel that you feel we are adding to antagonism, and or taking sides, not recognizing larger issues and speaking for ourselves...

 

O: I would like us to have a real relationship.  Littler Mendelson info requires correction... we need to collaborate and discuss with all of you. Bratton constantly sends out information, we value all of you, that makes us who we are.  How do we shape a productive conversation... Need to leave behind old model of antagonism and collaborate.  No one is trying to hold back, we want to increase conversation. Important to have grasp of what we are trying to do.... Fac is always fundamental I offer commitment to Fac that remains unshakable, we need to address relationship w/Fac we are not outside agreement...

 

S: I buy tough economy, etc. have we identified other institutions that may help?

 

B: I addressed this at SU, I have been conversing w/others, meetings w/Berkeley, CCA... Okwui and Jen meet at USF on Friday... how can we /what can we give each other, share expenses, programming, complement institutions.  Example: we all have challenges, are there ways to share healthcare? To offset costs? Healthcare is extremely expensive. USF Art Education Program, can we meld aspects, joint/share programs. Housing was discussed...

 

S: Heard that Berkeley is interested in SFAI... What would this mean?

 

B: I don’t know what outcome would be. Too many specifics... palpable sense that new world is emerging... no one knows what form... past business is going away. Stronger, better, viable? Berk, all talking, SFAI entering into this.  Not at merging, coalition, etc. I am not shopping SFAI around, but representing our uniqueness, etc. rescinded not having conversations, not part of larger things, we need to be part of new business structure...

 

 

S: This (financial troubles) is not stopping now... can we reinstate Fac? any possibility? how can we (students) help in this? In the end, all arguments have difficulty... How do you see this as not a serious distortion? highly questionable reasons... What about reworking with students involved? We feel we deserve involvement.

 

 

 

B: We are having ongoing negotiations...

 

S: Can’t we meet all together in the lecture hall, or would that be too much chaos? why aren’t the Fac participating?

~commotion/laughter, talking, no clear answer~

 

 

S: Is there interest in collaboration, hearing our voices, where is Rene?

 

 

 

J,B,O, Brian Carlisle (Student Affairs guy): she’s here TWTH, she’s at chestnut, she met on Friday, she’s out of town, etc.......

 

 

S: A lot of people feel layoffs are drastic/unnecessary. We appreciate your position on this... They (layoffs) can’t happen, can’t we take that issue off the table?

 

 

 

B & J: we met for a month, nothing else can be done.  We’ve followed steps... we know there is a huge step between layoffs and problems but we’ve done all we can...

 

 

S: Did some take cuts and others not?

 

 

B: Some nonunion did, because of union not negotiating others haven’t...

 

 

S: More furloughs?

 

 

B: I hope not...

 

S: What about integrity? Notion where people (students) can’t work?

 

B: I can promise you that you will have access through summer and we are open in the fall and for the next two years

 

S: Is it that unclear?

 

B: NO, NEXT 137yrs.

 

~END~

 

Notes taken by Jeremy Menzies, in attendance at this meeting on February 23, 2009, 12noon.  Spelling and grammar corrections made February 24^th, 4:18:55 pm.  No words or statements have been altered, only brief preliminary notes and paraphrases have been adjusted for clarity.  Key passages outlined in bold.  Please feel free to contact the administrator of this page with any questions or comments.