There have been a number of calls for a plan outlining how we should proceed in helping to move Loyola University New Orleans (LUNO) forward. As a starting point, we have decided that it may prove helpful to put forth a list of points that we believe are critical to foster more cooperative working relationships between faculty members in the College of Humanities and Natural Sciences (HuNS) and senior administrators.

PART I.  PROCESS ISSUES

1-The President must immediately acknowledge that the faculty handbook is the equivalent of our Constitution whose primacy must be defended and maintained at all cost. Given this, he must also accept the Standing Council for Academic Planning (SCAP) Pathways report as “presumptively valid.” If all of the SCAP recommendations cannot be implemented at this time, the university should make every effort to place terminated, tenured or tenure-track, faculty in other appropriate university positions. If this is not possible, then the administration should begin negotiating fair agreements with all terminated faculty members “equitably adjusted to the faculty member’s length of past and potential service” (see point I.2 below).

2- The administration (working with legal counsel) should negotiate fair and equitable separation packages with all terminated faculty members who cannot be placed in other university positions.  Packages must be judged as reasonable based on AAUP guidelines which state that, in such matters, years of past and potential service be factored into such decisions. In fact, LUNO should seek input from the AAUP to help develop the packages. After all, LUNO will have to settle with faculty members eventually and most Loyola community members would like to see the dollars go to our terminated colleagues rather than to legal representatives. LUNO should move quickly on this item so that we can salvage as much good will and hope for our community as possible.

3-The administration should meet with representatives from AAUP immediately and demonstrate progress being made in effectively working with the faculty (especially on items I.1 and I.2). We need to engage in appropriate processes because the outcomes will impact the life of this institution for many years to come. We must avoid AAUP censure and sanction if at all possible.

4- All committees that are part of our university governance structure should begin regularly scheduled meetings immediately. This is especially critical for committees like the University Budget Committee (UBC). Faculty representatives should be provided with detailed budget information from 2005-06 and 2006-7. They should also be provided with reasonable projections for the next four years as well as a clear justification for all of the assumptions that are entering into the projections. It is only through such a process that our claims to SACS that we operate under a system of shared governance and that we have a rational approach to planning and budgeting can be substantiated.

5- Suspended programs must have the opportunity to appeal their suspension immediately to avoid irreparable damage to those programs.  Each suspended program shall submit a proposal justifying reinstatement to the appropriate academic Dean. Upon approval by the Dean, the proposal will be forwarded to the Provost to be placed on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled SCAP meeting, where the Dean and respective department Chair will argue the merits of reinstatement.

6- The University Senate should act on SCAP’s request that they adopt and/or modify the Program Review Criteria. This is important in the event we face another round of terminations and/or suspensions. Further, these approved criteria should be used to reconsider the Pathways terminations via SCAP working in collaboration with representatives from the Provost’s office.

7- The University Senate, in cooperation with the administration, will formulate criteria for identifying a bona fide state of financial exigency and for determining proper institutional responses to such a condition. (Faculty Handbook 9.F.) This proactive planning approach should become part of our emergency planning efforts in case of another disaster.

PART II. PERSONNEL ISSUES

1- Thank the Provost and his assistants for their service and then send them on sabbaticals that begin immediately and run through the 06-07 academic year. This is not personal, but is based on a pattern of problematic performance over time. All of these administrators are tenured and can return to their departments in AY 07-08.

2- Name an existing faculty member or academic Dean as Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs to allow the institution adequate time to search for our next Chief Academic Officer (CAO). The person selected for the Interim position must have an understanding of Loyola culture, solid administrative experience, and good working relationships with faculty members.

3- The Interim Provost should recruit talented and capable faculty members from within the University to serve as assistant/associate provosts on a rotating basis (e.g., three year terms) to help create and maintain a solid bridge between faculty members and the administration. This strategy also hardwires a mechanism for ongoing faculty leadership development that will benefit institutional culture over time.

4- After points I.1-5 And II.1-3 have been given appropriate attention, the Interim Provost should establish a faculty leadership team (perhaps the Bring Back LUNO Committee) to help identify and begin working on the most pressing issues facing the university (e.g., recruitment and retention of students, staff, faculty members; financial challenges facing the institution; etc.) This is another mechanism to engage the faculty and, hopefully, convince them to make a long-term commitment to Loyola. We must turn the challenges we face into opportunities by mobilizing our campus community, aligning our limited resources, and building a sense of common purpose and community. Faculty members need to be empowered by having a real voice in shaping a future that is built on the promise of a brighter tomorrow.

5-The President must focus on being President. This means hiring a competent and capable Provost and then staying out of her/his way. We need our President to do fundraising and external relations. To attract strong Provost candidates we must be able to assure them that they will be allowed to lead the academic side of the university without unnecessary interference from the President, the Board of Trustees, and/or their consultants/advisors. We should not overlook the possibility of appropriate internal candidates willing and able to serve our institution well.

Once again, the above is NOT intended to be a comprehensive plan, but just a starting point for open and honest discussion about how we begin to think about our future together. This document has been floated and edited by faculty members within the College of HuNS but does NOT claim to represent all the diverse views of those within the college. In conclusion, we end with the critical point that many HuNS faculty members stand ready to assist the President as we try to deal with all the challenges that still remain Post-Katrina and Post-Pathways.