THE
AUFA PRESIDENT COMMUNICATES
In Cruise Control
I can’t think of a
better metaphor to describe the present state. There are no new issues on the
table and the various areas the executive has been working on are progressing
smoothly.
A committee, together with the ASU VP Academic, has been working on Course Evaluations. Before the end of the year we will have a proposal before the membership. Fundamentally, we are trying to be proactive, as this is an area that the Administration will pursue aggressively at the next negotiations.
We are continuing with Recruiting and Retention. We will be seeking input and holding discussions so that we can have a proposal before the membership before the year is out.
You will recall the Financial Analysis I presented in the last Communicator. The Board is being approached and we hope that it will be on the agenda for the next meeting so that they will have to discuss the results of the analysis.
Earlier in the year there was an online discussion on democracy and AUFA. The kind of exchange that took place was healthy. The argument that AUFA is not democratic, however, I cannot accept. There is ample opportunity for members to express their views and to take part in the process of AUFA. Now, it may not be as convenient as everyone would like. But, I find it difficult to conceive how technology can ever replace face-to-face discussion. As stipulated in our Constitution, the meetings are conducted according to the Robert’s Rules of Order, which have evolved through time and are used by many organizations. They work and they ensure a democratic process. We need to meet formally, we need to have minutes documenting our business, we need a quorum at these meetings to ensure democracy, we need to approve budgets, committee reports etc. However, some of the issues we deal with can be done electronically and some issues can be voted on by ballot or the membership can be polled electronically. The executive has been discussing these issues and we are certainly not adverse to exploring new ways of doing business. Again, a report will be brought forward.
Finally, I sincerely
hope that by the time you read this issue of the Communicator the
Administration will have been approached to start negotiating a contract for the
Part-timers.
So, we are cruising right along!
Soren Bondrup-Nielsen
President