Above his own policy

by Walt Olson

"When you don't know what to do, reorganize!" Anonymous

This summer, after the majority of faculty had left campus, University of Toledo President Lloyd Jacobs commissioned a "Committee on Strategic Reorganization," consisting of 10 female administrators and 2 untenured female faculty to report within three weeks to the President. In doing so, the President:

• violated the University policy of equal opportunity: Policy 3364-50-02, Equal Opportunity Policy

• violated the Collective Bargaining Agreements, in particular section 7.3,  between the University and the AAUP

• violated the Constitution of the Faculty Senate, Article II, paragraphs D and F.

It is apparent that President Jacobs believes he is above the rules of the University and  has no obligation to honor the documents approved by him or the UT Board of Trustees.

President Jacobs publicly acknowledged that male representatives were excluded from service on this committee of 12 females. When the President shows so little concern for diversity, what kind of example is set for the campus? Is diversity only what the President says it is?

President Jacobs' charge to the Committee required a proposal for an  organization structure for the 21^st Century and an organization structure that enables "us to realize our Strategic Plan." But what is this Strategic Plan?

A massive Task Force with many committees is currently attempting to define the University's Strategic Plan.  The President estimates in a YouTube presentation that the work on the Strategic Plan is about half complete. The reorganization report is premature and presumptive unless the President has already decided what the Strategic Plan for the University will be.

The Committee's report consists of a PowerPoint presentation available online http://www.utoledo.edu/strategicplan/strategicorg/pdfs/OrgStructureProposal.pdf

In its PowerPoint presentation, the Committee proposes a structure of two new layers of administration between the college deans and the provosts. New deans and dean-level staffs are newly created. Senior Executive Deans are created.There are at least 17 new School Directors and an unknown number of Heads of Faculty.

The created dean positions include:

1) Senior Executive Dean

2) Dean, College of Adult and Lifelong Learning

3) Dean, Honors College

4) Executive Dean for Arts & Sciences

5) Dean, College of  Science and Sustainability

6) Dean, College for the Study of the Human Condition

7) Dean, College of the Visual and Performing Arts

The above deans 2, 3 report to the Senior Executive Dean while deans 5, 6 & 7 are under the Executive Dean for Arts & Sciences.

Each of these deans will be highly paid.  President Jacobs has said high pay is how one recruits and retains good people.

The Committee assumptions include a statement that the proposed structure is based on "21^st Century intellectual relationships." It is not clear what this means.

The University has a  shrinking budget. Last year the University of Toledo laid off staff because of budget shortfalls. Further layoffs are anticipated. Vice President Scott Scarborough recently reported to the UT Board of Trustees that the University will have a $20 million to $40 million shortfall in 2012.  Future budgets of the University will be reduced.

Because the Committee report is in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, little detail and little justification is provided as to how this proposed structure,over laden with administrators, would meet the stated objectives. It is disconcerting that such an important issue with such far reaching import for the University has been presented in a PowerPoint format and treated in a cavalier and irresponsible way.

"I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing; and a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization."

Petronius Arbiter, 210 B.C.