Vol. 10, No. 2                                                                                   November 10, 1997

     Her Majesty Sandi Cooper, Chair of the University Faculty Senate and relentless warrior in the battle for ratification of the UFS Charter to authorize the granting of released time to non-senators, has won the ratification battle but may have lost the war.

     Our sources have indicated to us that the Board of Trustees will soon crack down on released time (reassigned time) throughout the CUNY system. In fact, at the October 27 meeting of the Board, Trustee Ronald J. Marino, Chair of the Fiscal Affairs Committee, commented on the Board's priorities for 1997/98. He stated that one priority would be to make sure that faculty were actually teaching in the classrooms. Members of the faculty, he said, "had to be more responsible" and teach.

     This means that the Board would examine all released time given by the university including that given to the Senate. The Patriot would not be surprised if the released time allocated to the Senate were drastically reduced. Unfortunately some deserving members of the UFS Executive Committee may lose their released time. If this happens, the blame must be placed on Her Majesty Sandi Cooper, who made a major issue out of a minor administrative problem. In spite of the advice of many to adjust internally, Her Majesty went on a ranting, raving campaign for final passage of the Charter attracting attention to the released time issue now being scrutinized by the Board.

YOU TOO MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASED TIME FROM THE SENATE!

    Now that the Charter has been ratified, giving authority to the UFS Executive committee to give released time to non-senators, we believe that the entire CUNY faculty is eligible to apply for this released time ( provided that there is any left after the cuts.) It seems to the Patriot that UFS, a public entity, should follow CUNY's Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Guidelines in dispensing this released time. We therefore advise the Senate, its Executive Committee and Her Majesty Sandi Cooper to advertise the availability of the Senate released time (as well as other employment openings) to the entire CUNY faculty. The UFS should follow appropriate EEOC and Affirmative Action guidelines in allocating released time to non-senators.

c: Members of the Board of Trustees, Council of Presidents, PSC leadership, Legal Counsel to the Board, Affirmative Action Officers of all units, and CUNY faculty.

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