Another strongly worded resolution of support was unaminously passed at the English Student Association plenary meeting on Friday, November 9, 2012. The pressure mounts! Please read and share…the text follows below.
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF QUEENSBOROUGH COMMUNITY COLLEGE ENGLISH FACULTY TO ESTABLISH DEPARTMENTAL GOVERNANCE
WHEREAS, the English Student Association (ESA) resolved on September 21, 2012, to affirm the principle of faculty governance within CUNY; and
WHEREAS, the CUNY Board of Trustees By-Laws, Article IX, Section 9.1, state that “Each department […] shall have the fullest measure of autonomy consistent with educational policy”; and
WHEREAS, the faculty of English at Queensborough Community College voted with a strong majority (21-7, with 2 abstentions) on October 24, 2012, in accordance with QCC by-laws, to recall their department chair, Linda Reesman; and
WHEREAS, the QCC English faculty, by an equally strong margin (22-7, with 1 abstentions) elected David Humphries to serve as the chair of the department; and
WHEREAS, the President of QCC, Diane Call, notified the faculty on November 6, 2012, that she refused to accept the faculty’s elected chair and will appoint an unelected chair of her choosing; and
WHEREAS, President Call’s rejection of the elected chair is part of a pattern of disregard for the principle and rule of faculty governance; and
WHEREAS the English Student Association (ESA) represents over 280 doctoral students, many of whom are faculty members of English departments across the CUNY campuses, including QCC; therefore, now be it
RESOLVED, that the ESA condemns the decision of QCC President Diane Call to reject the election of David Humphries as English department chair and replace him with an unelected chair and calls upon her to reverse her decision; and
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the ESA calls upon the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees to reject President Call’s action and immediately install David Humphries as chair of the Queensborough Community College English Department; and
FINALLY RESOLVED, that the ESA affirms the principle of shared governance and calls on colleges and administrations across CUNY to respect and support such governance.