The Mercer Cluster. (Macon, Ga.) 1920-current, January 27, 1989, Image 1
■ \ Faculty Dismissals Ignore Handbook By CHARLIE SMITH Cluster News Editor The faculty handbook, as the contractual agreement between the Administration and thfc faculty, serves officially as the reference for all decisions of procedure regarding the dismissal of tenured and non-tenured facul ty members. Mercer's Administration has not followed the procedures stipulated in the faculty handbook in regard to the notifica tions of dimissal sent to faculty at Mercer-Atlanta. The faculty handbook section 2.054, number 2 states that "Dismissal of a faculty member with tenure or with a non tenured appoint ment he fore the end of the specified term shall be preceded by: (I) Discussions bet ween the faculty member and the Provost looking toward a mutual settlement; (2) In formal inquiry by a committee composed of full-time faculty members in his school or college other than the person under inquiry which may. failing to effect an adjustment, determine whether in its opinion dismissal procedings should be undertaken, without its opinion being binding upon the President.'’ Neither of these procedures has been followed. (1) There have been no faculty discussions with the Provost geared toward reaching a mutual settlement. (2) * There has been no faculty committee formed to decide whether or not. in their opi nion, dismissal proceedings are justified. The faculty handbook also stipulates specific guidelines of procedure for the notification of non tenured professors whose contracts will not be renewed. Section 2.033, number 3 states: "Regardless of the stated term or other provisions of any appointments, written notice that a non tenured appointment is not to be renewed shall be given to the faculty member in advance of the expiration of his appointment, as follows: a. Not later than March I of the first 'academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or if A one- year appointment is terminated within an academic year, at least three months in ad vance of its termination. b. Not later than Dec, 15 of the second academic year of service, if the appointment expires at the end of that year; or. if an in itial two-year appointment terminates dunng an academic year, at least six months in ad vance of its termination The two-year faculty at Mercer Atlanta were notified of their dismissal on Jan. 9. Their notifications came 24 days later than the faculty handbook allows. ThcVfiandbook also says that 'Non- tenured appointments may be for one year, two years, or three years." But the contracts of these faculty members expire in June If the administration allows for the 12 month notification period and retains them until Jan 1990. there will have to be six-mbnth contracts drawn The faculty handbook makes no stipulation for contracts other than those for one. two, or three years. (See related story. page 3) volume 7i, number i4 A joint publication of the Mercer Cluster and Mercer Pulse Friday, January 27,19*9 Students affected by budget cuts Dr. David Campbell Assistant Professor Of Political Science CAS students walk out in protest of Godsey By DIANNE LAUBERT SUIT Writer The Mercer Cluster Since Mercer's debt was reveal ed in December, everyone has been anticipating the budget cuts and reductions that will eventually result. There have yet to be actual ' cuts and reductions, " but a freeze has been, placed on departmental spendings. Each freeze has affected an individual or a group of in dividuals in some way. The first known "cut" due to the freeze was the reduction of the library hours. The libraQ’ is cur rently open 88 hours a week when in the past it has been open 100 hours a week. According to thi library's associate director. Beth Hammond. "The positions of the regular staff couldn't be filled. The stafTs availability allowed us to have the longer hours that we can no longer Faculty Dismissals page 2 Student Opinions page 11 Financial Timeline page 12 have." The library director. Mary Howard, said "Wc don’t like to curtail our hours any more than the students do. We hope that they do understand why." Howard said that she is expecting a little extra money to pay the full time staff. At the time oppress. Howard had not • received the money but was hopeful that she would. "Believe me. when wc get the money, and if we can hire somebody, we’ll be back to 100 hours." Howard said. Also, there are not as many stu dent workers at the library this quarter, but this is not due directly to the freeze. The library has the same amount of money that they had last year. Howard said that the librar/uscdup more of its yearly allotment in the fall. In all actuali ty. the library did not divide the money for student workers equal ly among three quarters. The^*fibrary is not ordering anything unless it is necessary They are deciphering what items arp not needed by students for a particular class or what items facul ty members no longer use. The library is trying to be as efficient as possible by not paying for items that will have no value to the 4 students "If we need to order books, wc can,” Howard said "We have no real budget figures. .We’ve made tentative plans on what we-could cut if worse comes to worse." Howard was asked if this would hay'any affect on the new library \rfch as an inability to get materials Howard replied that there were no such problems. "As far as I know from the President, we ll be moving into our new building (as scheduled)."’"' The freeze has also caused the Drama Department to switch its previously planned musical of Sneeny Todd to the musical Smder. The decision was nude in December to switch-the musicals. "Wc had to act quickly." ex plained Paul Oppy of the Dranu Department. ’ Scripts and music were scheduled to arrive in January and once they arrived, wc would have lost $250 in rental fees." Oppy further explained that musicals arc the most expensive productions because one has to pay more for royalties and rentals. It also costs more for the costumes and to build the scenery. • ’Scenes and costumes should be significantly less than Sweeny Todd " Oppy said. The drama department has cut the productions of a Yeats one-act play.and two public performances of a children's play jn campus. “Wc’rc holding off on auditions for Slrider until we know what our production budget will be. ” Oppy said k* The drama departments, however, producing three student - directed, one-act plays and a tour ing children’s play in which they will perform for elementary school students. Oppy appeared optimistic about die Drapia department’s future plansV^ What our dean (Dean Sainmyc Continued on page 10 By CHRIS METZLER Editorial Editor The Mercer Pulse On Fri.. Jan. 13. about 180 students walked out of their classes in support of an SGA resolution cx-* pressing no confidence in Mercer President R Kirby Godsey and calling for his immediate resigna t»on. The resolution came after students learned Godsey admitted that he did not fully disclose the financial indebtedness ol the ‘University. Students and faculty members packed the cafeteria and chanted’*’Save Mercer Down w ith Godsey." The rally was hilled by Interna tional Student Association Prcsi dent Roger Russell as an mforria tional seminar About 20 student leaders met with Godsey in an op portunity to discuss the financial status of the University At thu close of the meeting* SGA Prcsi dent Willie Weaver read the SGA resolution asking for Godsey’s resignation Godsey told students that he was a former logic teacher and that the conclusions in their resolution were illogical At that point some student leaders storm ed out of the meeting slating that Continued on page 10