Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Next week, ASUC, stuff about
A Resolution Supporting Bangladesh Cyclone Relief: The notable thing about this isn't the bill, but the allocation of $____ to support an undefined budget. I don't think this really complies with public notice requirements, but of course, this was the last chance to propose a bill that does if it's to be passed this semester.
A Bill In Support of Student Participation in Faculty Hiring Committees: This bill is mysteriously co-sponsored by "CAVP Miguel Daal." Daal is the Campus Affairs Vice President of the Graduate Assembly, and has no power to sponsor bills in the Senate. For a GA that was bitching about autonomy not that long ago, it sure seems to be pretty interested in injecting itself into Senate business. The bill also includes a violation of free speech:
President of the ASUC is empowered to sign the attached letter (or a similar version), on behalf of all students, requesting greater student involvement in the faculty hiring process. The President cannot sign a bill "on behalf of all students" without actually getting permission from all students. He can sign one on behalf of the student government, but if it passes as read, I will probably file suit to stop it. The letter includes this funny detail:
As the primary participants in classroom instruction on our campus, students can assure that a candidate's teaching ability will not be overlooked in the faculty hiring process. Students remember that whereas the faculty live with the hire for the rest of their careers, the student body must live with the hire for the rest of the hire's career. Therefore, students have an interest in ensuring that the University invites exceptional educators to join its faculty. What? Students will only have to live with the hire for the rest of their student careers, which are typically much shorter than the remaining careers of faculty members.
The student perspective would provide a safeguard against the homogeneity of ideas, interests, and the composition of the University's faculty, ensuring that California's diverse intellectual reservoir can be summoned to tackle our state's most pressing challenges. Ha! What a joke. While faculty diversity is protected by academic freedom, there is no such protection for student diversity. Since "student perspective" will likely be included through structured processes (e.g. student government), only those with prevailing views will be allowed to participate, as opposed to faculty. So student involvement, if anything, will increase homogeneity in the process. For example:
In the interest of selecting non-biased and representative students to be involved in faculty searches, we propose that departmental students associations nominate interested students to this duty. For example, students might be screened and interviewed by their peers in such associations prior to being submitted to the department for approval. In the absence of a departmental student association, the Associated Students of the University of California (ASUC) or the Graduate Assembly (GA) could provide this service. All student reps, therefore, will have to be viewed as acceptable by their peers, rather than having the diversity that comes from academic freedom-protected faculty.
By including students in the faculty hiring process, candidates recommended for hire would benefit from the unified support of the entire campus community. Student support could potentially help the nomination stand up to scrutiny as it moves through the administration for ultimate approval. Of course, the total opposite could occur... students opposed for political reasons who don't have to worry about any kind of accountability could potentially harm a legitimate nomination because it doesn't march in lockstep with student views. If you aren't concerned yet, check this out:
We recognize the need for training to prepare students for involvement in faculty searches. As such, the ASUC and the GA propose to conduct orientation sessions for all interested students involved in faculty hiring. These sessions may be taught with help from the Office of the Provost and/or the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion, for example. Why the Vice Chancellor for Equity and Inclusion? Essentially, the student viewpoint should be that approved of by both dominant governing forces on campus, and then further indoctrinated by those governing forces. If I was going to come up with a method to reduce diversity and increase homogeneity as much as possible, this would be it.
A Bill In Support of the December Convocation Relocation: Uh... a little late, guys? This bill would be passed only three days before the actual event.
A Bill in Support of the Californians Student Group as they Transition to ASUC Sponsorship: This will try to move the Californians to an ASUC-Sponsored group through a Memorandum of Understanding, apparently to be added to the section on "Student Objections" of the By-Laws for some reason. Among the requirements of the Memorandum is that the Californians "Remain a dully registered student organization under the campus guidelines..." Don't get too shiny, guys!
RESOLUTION URGING THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE FUNDING TO AC TRANSIT IN ORDER TO PROMOTE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND COMBAT GLOBAL WARMING Danny Montes wants exactly what you'd expect from the title.
A Resolution in Support of UC Education Abroad Programs (UC EAP) to Philippines and Israel: This has been passed before. I don't think the Regents really care.
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