IT’S
NOT ABOUT PARKING
Enough has already been said about parking, or the lack of reasonable parking, for faculty and other staff at this university. If the issue were parking, the issue would have been adequately covered. The issue, however, is not parking. Parking is only a minor symptom of the issue.
Grievance Officer Paula Chegwidden Member-at-Large Eric Alcorn Member-at-Large Martin
Hallett Member-at-Large Richard Sparkman Member-at-Large Ann Vibert President Bob Perrins Past President Janice Best Vice-President Richard
Cunningham Treasurer Jeff Hooper Secretary Grievance Officer Paula Chegwidden Member-at-Large Eric Alcorn Member-at-Large Martin Hallett Member-at-Large Richard Sparkman Member-at-Large Ann
Vibert
I
started my career at a university that had a different view of faculty and, not
coincidently, my own parking space. Again,
parking was not the issue; it was merely a symptom of the underlying valuation
of faculty. In any event, parking did
not require a major commitment from the administration.
That other Acadia viewed faculty as critical to its two major functions, scholarship and teaching. Management saw us as valuable resources in short supply in a competitive labour market. They did not believe we could remain a top university without top faculty. Therefore, they paid competitive salaries and provided excellent support for both research and teaching. Of course, they avoided inflicting petty annoyances.
Enlightenment extended to other university employees. Although we did not have enough Vice Presidents to adequately study such issues, somebody at the top stumbled on the fact that the strength of an organization is the strength of its people. That other university sought excellence through excellent people.
Although it is much too early to tell, there is evidence that this university could be making an effort to become people centered. If such a shift should occur, one of the early indications might be that money is no longer wasted destroying parking spaces.
Cautiously Optimistic