A reader poses the following problem and asks for input in the comments:
Our dean considers himself/herself an ex officio member of every faculty committee. Although I believe it appropriate for a dean to attend committee meetings on some occasions, such as to give the committee a charge or to report something of particular interest to the committee or to kickstart a dysfunctional committee, my perception is that in our case, the dean’s attending every meeting of a particular committee (Curriculum) tends to stifle discussion because no one wants to contradict the dean. I have spoken to some of the other members of this committee and although we’d like to ask the dean to refrain from coming to every committee meeting, no one wants to bell the cat.
Is it common at other law schools for the dean to attend committee meetings this way? Is this a faculty governance issue or just a management issue? Do you have suggestions on how we as faculty should approach the situation? Comments would be sincerely appreciated.
There might be more than one place where problems lie in this scenario.
The question assumes that the whole of the problem lies in the dean's presence at the meetings, but some of the problem might also lie in the timidity of the faculty on a matter as solidly within the faculty's competence as the school's curriculum. It would be one thing if the matter were of fundraising, law school staff personnel matters, etc., in which a faculty member might well be seen as speaking out of turn in contradicting the dean. But on curriculum? That's a core faculty concern. If people are afraid to say something that the dean will disagree with about curricular reform, my guess is that the fault is not fairly laid at the feet of the dean alone.
Eric, you make a good point, but you may underestimate the power that faculty have in our increasingly corporatized universities. Deans are frequently appointed by presidents and provosts with little input from faculty or even over faculty objection. Faculty may complain, but if they know the dean has the backing of the university administration, complaints do no good.
The converse of the problem Dan raises is where the dean makes him or herself chair of key committees, and then never holds meetings.
As a dean, I do not attend committee meetings unless the faculty members ask me to attend.
True grit is making a decision and standing by it,doing what must be done.
________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.tera2u.com/
http://www.gobuytera.com/
http://www.2joygame.com
http://www.wly.com/gold/Runescape/RUNESCAPE