Top Social Menu

Facebook

February 10, 2012

FSU EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE E-VOTE 2/10/12

The FSU Executive Committee has been asked to give official support for the letter below (the Ex Com was emailed on 2/10/12). A vote of support would allow the NTT caucus to list the Ex Com as officially endorsing the former’s call for the administration to participate fully in the proposed forums mentioned in the letter. 

The Ex Com voted between 2/10/12 and 2/15/12. There were 7 votes supporting the letter, none opposed. The motion to give official support for the letter passed with majority approval on 2/15/12.

    ‘Last Friday, February 3, the Non Tenure Track caucus of the Faculty Staff voted unanimously to ask the administration to participate in a series of public forums open to the entire university community to discuss the issues raised by Occupy UMass and to discuss the future direction of the university.  We hope you will join with the caucus in requesting the administration’s full participation in these forums.
    We anticipate that the forums will be both an opportunity to “get the facts straight” and to raise important questions about the future of our university.  We anticipate that the discussion will be direct, vigorous, and animated, and we also expect, and if necessary will insist, that participants speak to each other politely and with respect for each other’s dignity.
    Whatever one may think of the tactics and rhetoric of the Occupy Movement, no one can deny that it has had an electric effect of public discourse in our nation.  Whatever one may think of the tactics and rhetoric of Occupy UMass, no one can deny that many of the issues raised are important and worthy of discussion.
    One of the major criticisms made of the Occupy Movement is that it is not always clear what practical steps could be taken to deal with the issues raised.  We intend to seize the opportunity opened by Occupy UMass to address important issues facing our university community.  We think the forums are a good, practical first step: they will allow the entire university community to participate, will provide accurate and up to date information to the university community, will allow for full discussion of the issues, and will point the way to a resolution of them.
    We hope you will join with the NTT caucus and the call for the administration to participate fully in the forums.  We will invite all the groups that endorse the call to meet with us to plan the program for the forums.  We look forward to hearing from you.  Thanks.

                For the NTT caucus of the FSU,
               
                John Hess
                Senior Lecturer
                English/American Studies

Please respond to john.hess@umb.edu