2005 KFT President, Maria del C. Rodriguez Address

Welcome all dear members of our local 2187. I sincerely hope that we are ready to continue our struggle for justice and equality in the workplace and beyond. I warmly salute all of you for your courage to serve in this beloved institution we know as Kean University. I also extend my welcome greeting to all other employees: members of CWA, IFPTE, KUAFF local and all other public servants

First, let us discuss the meaning of our professional work. Everytime we come in close contact with our students, we facilitate an environment where they engage in critical and creative thinking. When we truly foster this activity, we shape their minds and by logical extension, we help to create the future of the world. Great power and responsibility lies in our hands every day we come to work here. We inspire, guide, and encourage the many students we serve. If we do our job right, this encounter would be the difference between producing trained students and well educated students. If our students are educated in the broadest sense, they are prepared to meet the challenges of this city, region, society and the global community we endearingly call Earth. If we do our job right, our students are prepared to be productive members of this democratic community. As a matter of fact, the word democracy comes from two greek terms- demos/ people and kratia/authority. Our job as educators is to prepare our students to exercise this authority effectively with the most basic skill they need- critical and problem thinking skills.

It is not an accident that we are all here together. According to the great counseling theorist, Dr. Carl Jung, there are not accidental events but just synchronicities in life. We have come together in this place that originally was a normal school back in the 1800s. Then it became a public college and eventually it is known as Kean University. Kean faces two basic challenges as an institution of higher education. The first challenge is whether this university can be a true university at a practical level. . The second challenge refers to the degree to which this institution live up to the demands of its mission statement. The workers of this university can certainly help the University in addressing these challenges but the greatest level of responsibility lies in the Administration as the leading element of this workplace.

I have enclosed a summary of the mission statement for all of you to review at the end of this essay. Based on the mission statement,there are six (6) themes that are the essence of this document: 1) promotion of students’ and all members’ intellectual, cultural and personal growth; 2) preparation of all students for critical thinking; 3) effective service for all the diverse students we enroll so that all of them reach their full potential; 4) promotion of an environment where diversity is nurtured and cherished; 5) promotion of mutual respect among all members of the workplace, and 6) commitment to excellent teaching, research, scholarship, creative work and innovative technological use. As one can see, this mission statement draws a high calling for all the people who work and study here.

What is the true story that happens at Kean day in and day out? Without a doubt, there have been remarkable changes at this site. There are more lighted paths, more picket fences, more buildings, trash cans, t.v. screens , more signs, flowers, shrubs and bricks. Kean also publishes many glossy magazines and pamphlets that try to sell this "new" Kean to the world. There are more students who pay increasingly higher tuition fees every year. These are the same students who only talk to voice mails whenever they call . They also complain that they can’t get the course sections they need and struggle every day to find a parking space. More and more courses are taught by adjuncts than by resident faculty (Kean is the highest in hiring adjuncts when compared to all other sister institutions). The current ratio is almost two adjuncts per full time faculty. Similar trend is observed when comparing the number of full time professional staff and academic specialists. In a recent document submitted by the University, they reported 120 academic specialists being currently hired doing all critical work for their various units instead of hiring full time professionals to do these tasks. What is the problem with depending so much on non-resident faculty and academic specialists? These are all transient professionals who may be easily dismissed by the administration. This transient nature directly affects the educational process for the students they serve. Continuity of learning and service is heavily compromised under these circumstances. The possible connection that may be developed between professional and learner is severely tested. This is not the best deal for students. But it may be the best arrangement for this Administration that treats this University like a business, not as a place of higher learning. This deal saves many dollars in the office space, equipment and fringe benefits not provided to these transient workers who are easily disposed by their respective supervisors.

This is the way the Administration is trying to solve the persistent underfunding that has severely affected Kean University. Kean seems to be low priority for all the legislators who are supposed to defend its interests. Pres. Farahi proudly announced Kean’s third ranking in state appropriations at an internal meeting held last August 2005. We all know that Kean has this rank or a similar one. The real problem is not how much is our overall state funding Kean but how is this divided by student capita. The other institutions occupying the first and second ranks (Montclair and Rowan) have much less student enrollment than KU. When these two figures are put together, Kean is not facing a solid budget but a serious crisis. Our chronic state underfunding is still here and continues to be a real monster to be tackled by this current administration. This problem does not go away simply because some of the economic figures are artificially dressed up (just in time for Halloween)!

In addition to severe financial underfunding , the institution suffers from another scarce resource: opportunity for uncensored dialogue. Just in early September of 2005, the Board of Trustees informed that in order to participate in its Open Forum, we can only address topics included in their agenda and with previous "review" of any intended message to the board. Similarly, President Farahi reacted defensively to almost all critical comment shared in his leadership forum of August and September 05. Both the open forum and the president leadership forums have been turned into a quasi -legal proceeding whereby the board and the president react defensively to any criticism. We denounce the restrictive nature of the Open Forum because it violates our constitutional right to free speech guaranteed by the American constitution. It also violates our labor contract which clearly guarantees the union’s right to raise any issue of concern at this forum. These new rules of engagement instituted by both the Board and the President show how unable they are in handling constructive criticism and observing the mandate for mutual respect as described in our Mission Statement. Free, critical dialogue is the basic ingredient of a democratic society and it is the basic ingredient of the University we aspire to honor in our mission statement. Thanks to the visit made by ex-president Clinton to Kean (by invitation from Sen. Corzine) in late September 05, we seized this opportunity to insist that Senator Ray Lesniak would meet with leaders of the Union and the State Council to discuss the serious challenges we face as organized labor. Having a written document from Senator Corzine where he declared his commitment to collective arbitration and having a meeting with Senator Lesniak were both byproducts of this concerted action guided by principle and our commitment to collective interest and vision. 

In closing, this academic year promises to be challenging at best. We will continue to defend our contract and use any legal and/or political means as necessary. We will continue to work with the State Council to hold this Administration accountable to its legal and civic responsibilities. We will continue to reach out to all community leaders both in and out of the University, enlisting as much support as possible. We will continue to reach out to all members with all the technologies available to us. We will continue to request that the employees have a more significant input in the crucial decisions affecting those who work and study here ( i.e. the presidents’ annual performance evaluation). We will continue to ask for better representation in the Board of Trustees. But nothing will be effectively accomplished unless we count on all members’s clear support. The contribution from each one of you is vital to our success as a body. Stay closely connected to your executive cabinet. Help as much as you can. A union can only be strong as its members. I would like to leave you with the wise words of King Solomon:

"Wisdom cannot take root in deceit nor dwell in one given to exploiting others"- Book of Solomon 1: 4-5.