Washburn University Accreditation - Public Comments
March 10, 2008
Lack of Respect for the Educational Mission – Big Brother Tactics
1. Washburn University Standards of Conduct Policy
The Washburn University Standards of Conduct was adopted by the Washburn University Board of Regents in May, 2005. Although the administration told the board members that the policy had been reviewed by faculty, there is no mention of the policy being considered in any of the minutes of the University Council meetings, the group that represented faculty interests prior to adoption of the current Faculty Senate. Adoption of this policy, with no formal input by the faculty, clearly indicated a failure to address the perceived lack of efficient functional communication between the faculty and the administration and the faculty and the Board that was noted at the prior accreditation visit.
The policy was introduced to faculty members at “town hall meetings” that were scheduled on the same day that the Board of Regents Audit Committee voted to recommend adoption of the policy to the full WU Board of Regents.
While some modifications were made to the policy as it moved through the approval process, the essence of the policy’s chilling affect on the faculty’s first amendment rights remains intact. The policy is overly broad, vague and subject to arbitrary enforcement.
More interesting to note, is the lack of enforcement of the WU Board of Regent Conflict of Interest Policy that was adopted by the Board in November, 2004. In June, 2006, the Chairperson of the Board participated in accepting a $214,000 bid for renovation of a property (appraised at $102,000) leased from a partnership in which she clearly had a financial interest. The university continues to make monthly “maintenance cost” payments to this partnership.
2. Termination of faculty for exercising 1st amendment rights
A teaching contract was not renewed for one faculty member shortly after the adoption of the WU Code of Conduct policy. The teaching contract with Professor Burton, faculty advisor of the student organization PISSED, was not renewed following the AY 2005-06.
It is interesting to note that his Fall, 2005 courses were enrolled at near-capacity, in spite of the overall decrease in credit hour enrollment at WU during the Fall, 2005. The Sociology/Anthropology department, of which he was a member, reported an increase of 8.7% in credit hours.
More than one student speculated that Professor Burton’s activities with PISSED were primarily responsible for the termination of his employment. Diversity of opinions and unfettered freedom to express those opinions on campus have been seriously compromised subsequent to this action.
3. Invasion of the classroom to perform administrative functions
I am a former WU Controller and a former WU adjunct accounting instructor. I had separate contracts for each of the administrative and academic functions that I performed in service to the university.
In June, 2002, my administrative employment with the university was terminated. Rather than meeting with me in person to discuss the termination of employment, the Vice President of Administration (VPAT) utilized her authority to enlist the services of the Washburn University Police Department to deliver my termination letter.
Two armed police officers paced outside my classroom while I conducted class on the evening of my administrative termination. My students observed the police officers as they left the classroom and some watched the officers approach me as I left the classroom. The officers handed me a letter from the VPAT and then proceeded to accompany me across campus, from Henderson to Morgan Hall, where I turned in my keys.
Since there was no wrong doing on my part, I continued to teach at Washburn following the termination of my administrative employment contract. In fact, I met with my students the following week in the same classroom that had been violated by the inappropriate use of police officers to perform a purely administrative function.
My teaching contract was terminated in the Fall, 2003 following an announcement that I would be exercising my first amendment rights by launching this website to criticize some administrative practices and decisions and to open up the university’s financial affairs to the public.
My termination of employment was not an isolated incident. The turnover in key administrative positions over the past ten years is indicative of the hostile, intimidating environment created by the current administration. Furthermore, the lack of real support for the academic mission is evidenced by the multiple extended searches for positions such as Mabee Library Dean, Mulvane Art Museum Director, and Mass Media Chair.