News Release For Immediate Distribution

   The following was read on December 11 to the College of Marin Trustees at their monthly Board meeting.

Over the past years, as president of UPM, I have received many phone calls or been stopped on campus by unit members and asked “why can’t my dean just do such and such?” or “why can’t Personnel do this?  It’s reasonable.”  Most of the inquiries seem sensible and are certainly important to the person asking.  As to why—the answer I have given so many times has been that if it is logical and rational it won’t happen here.

Now one person’s rationality can be another person’s insanity, so I realize my response has a strong element of subjectivity in it.  But when I would state that answer, both the person asking the questions and myself knew that I would still be able to go to the appropriate dean or administrator and try to get an answer and try and resolve the problem.  No longer.

After decades of cooperative discussion, with neither party always getting what they wanted but at least most often reaching compromises, that door has closed.  Administrators have refused to meet with UPM representatives, management committee representatives have said they are too busy to regularly attend governance committee meetings, and the first response to most inquiries is “don’t like it—grieve it”.

You as trustees sitting there are used to me standing before you pointing out the failings of the current system.  You have also heard it from the likes of Paul Christensen and John Sutherland, to name but two.  You have read it from Arthur Lutz and Laurie Ordin, so what I say tonight comes as no great surprise.  What should surprise you though, are the people standing and sitting behind me.  You don’t known most, if any, of these people.  And in all likelihood you never will.  Not because these people have nothing to say, but because they are afraid to say anything.

Behind me is someone who won’t speak up because her assignment was cut the last time she questioned a decision.  Behind me is someone who won’t speak up for fear his program will be cut or underfunded.  Behind me is someone who won’t speak up because she was removed from a committee when she questioned the fairness of an administrator’s decision.  Behind me is someone who won’t speak up because he is in his last year of tenure and does not want to jeopardize his future chances of employment.

You have created and allowed your administrators to create, an environment of fear, doubt and uncertainty.  An environment where employees retreat to their job, hoping to go unnoticed by most everyone.  This reluctance, this hiding, this fear, is especially despairing because those who should be most on the forefront—the new hire who should be trying out various committees, new assignments and creative ideas—is too afraid.  The environment of fear, doubt and uncertainty is too overwhelming.

Just last Friday a faculty member told me she felt things at College of Marin are better than they have been in the last two years.  I have no doubt she really sees a positive difference, and quite frankly, it is probably good that she does, that someone does.  For if there were no one who could see any good, then you have all allowed an outstanding institution to deteriorate to a point possibly beyond salvation.  But the reality remains that if even one person is working here, afraid to act, afraid to speak, afraid to raise a professionally related question, then you as trustees, you as administrators, have failed in your responsibilities.

This is no longer just about wages, benefits and working conditions.  We are used to hard bargaining.  That is not the issue.  It is about being professional, it is about communicating, it is about meaningful and prepared discussion.  It is about trust.  Too many people standing behind me are working in an atmosphere of fear, doubt and uncertainty.  They don’t trust you and I say shame on you for allowing that to happen!

Ira Lansing,
President, United Professors of Marin