(I accuse the university in a public forum, should I care?)

From: Fred, PhD Candidate at The Neoliberal University

Subject: Holy fuck

Date: 8 November, 2013 7:42:55 PM EST

To: Carly

OK, here goes.

So, my supervisor got in trouble by the university. Check this:

------      ------      ------      ------

Canadian University Disciplines Radical Professor

8 Nov 2013 — Professors at The Neoliberal University in Canada have just received written evaluations. The letters are dated November 7 and grade faculty members for their performance in 2012-13. The evaluations are done by the Deans of Science, Social Science and Humanities. They are based on reports on teaching, university service and research that faculty members were required to submit in October.

Professor Punk is a full professor at The Neoliberal University and was Director of the PhD Program in Randomly Interdisciplinary Studies from 2010 to 2013. ‘I am still in a state of shock,’ he says. ‘I received a form letter signed by the Dean of Humanities saying that my performance is only “generally satisfactory” and I am required to attend in his office with a representative of the Neoliberal University faculty union to develop a plan so that I am not evaluated as “unsatisfactory” in 2013-14. Punk is currently on sabbatical.

The new system of evaluation is mandated by changes in the collective agreement between The Neoliberal University and its faculty association. Under the old system all professors submitted an annual report to the Dean with a copy to their departmental chair. At that point the chair could discuss any problems with individual faculty members. However the real evaluation was done by COAP, the Neoliberal University committee that handles faculty promotion and tenure. ‘The new system seems to represent a significant shift away from evaluation by your peers to evaluation by the Deans,’ says Punk.

The problem identified by Some Guy, Neoliberal's Dean of Humanities, is that Punk has no academic publications in 2012-13. ‘That’s true,’ says Punk, ‘but the main reason is that I was Director of a PhD Program and on a lot of university committees. That really affects the time you have available for research and publishing. Punk says that the evaluation does not take into account a book chapter that he spent the summer of 2012 writing, which has been delayed in publication. 

------      ------      ------      ------      ------

It's the continual neoliberalization of the university and valuing publications over teaching, supervision. Not to mention, he is 'published' and the most respected in the 'punk' field.

Now, I'm sad.

I'm about to post a huge write up on my program's wall. I think there are a number of ways to get involved and speak not only on behalf of Alan, but against the neoliberalization of the university. The valuing of publications over teaching and supervision silences pro-active, on-the-ground engagements that professors engage in. It is important to locate and think about Alan's radical politics within the university's neoliberal web of power. Is this mistreatment more a product of Alan's politics, not his supposed 'lack of publishing?' It is important to get Alan's thoughts before, we as a group, discuss what steps should be taken. I'll email him. 

(I accuse the university in a public forum, should I care?)

Fred

______________________________________________________________________________

On 2013-11-09, at 7:46 PM, Carly wrote:

FRED!

Your university seems to have a strange rubric to evaluate professors? do they only measure money pulled in and publications?

DO DEPARTMENTS MAGICALLY RUN THEMSELVES?!

And if he has full tenure, why the fuck are they evaluating him, anyway? 

xo

Carly