**EMAIL BULLETIN - January 19, 2010**

To: All KFT Membership

From: James A. Castiglione, KFT President

Date: December 15, 2009

Subject: Letter from KFT Attorney R. Fagella to Board of Trustees

Letter from KFT Attorney Mr. Robert Fagella to Board of Trustees

Both myself and KFT attorney Mr. Robert Fagella spoke at the most recent meeting of the Board of Trustees on Saturday, December 5, 2009. In my remarks, I informed the Board of the many attacks on our members emanating from the administration in recent weeks – declaring impasse on negotiations over student evaluations, forcing Professional Staff to sign doctored evaluations, proposing timesheets for faculty and staff, etc. – and asked the Board to investigate these unprofessional actions by the administration and to use its oversight authority to help correct them.

Mr. Fagella, in his remarks, laid out some arguments against the administration’s actions, and made two additional suggestions: one, that the Board form a special sub-committee to conduct independent reviews of labor-management issues at Kean University, and two, that the Board sponsor professional, outside mediation to help work through grievances and negotiations before policies are imposed and then litigated.

Board of Trustees Chair Gene Enlow indicated to us that the Board would add discussion of our suggestions to the agenda at its closed executive session that day. Mr. Fagella agreed to formalize our proposals in a letter to the Board. Please find that letter, and a copy of my remarks, attached to this email.

These proposals are made by the KFT in good faith with the desire to move negotiations forward productively and to address potential contractual violations before they become grievances. Your KFT leadership wishes to stress that we are committed to exploring all avenues at our disposal to defend and advance the interests and the terms and conditions of our membership.

Please note, however, that the KFT can continue to make proposals to foster collaboration ad nauseum, but without reciprocation from the administration, a productive working relationship will not be achieved. Until the administration shows, via concrete action, that it is abandoning its “impose-first-litigate-later” approach, the KFT will continue to uncompromisingly represent, support and speak on behalf of our members.

More items from the December 5th meeting of the Board of Trustees

Other news from the Board meeting:

  1. Farahi’s $200,000 “bonus”: We all know how the President uses the yearly budget crisis to deny funds for professional development and career advancement of faculty and staff. Look no farther than this year’s promotions process in which the President offered one (1) promotion to Full Professor and 3 or 4 to Associate Professor.

    In my remarks to the Board I contrasted the “shared sacrifice” that always seems to fall only on faculty and staff with the $200,000 bonus that the Board approved for the President at its September meeting, just as we were recovering from one budget crisis and preparing for the next. Members of the Board were incensed that I described the gift as a “bonus”. I was told that I was misrepresenting the facts because what the President had received was NOT a bonus but rather a “retention payment”. The Board made no reference to possible “retention payments” for faculty and staff.

    Nota Bene: The actual language in the September resolution amending the President’s employment contract is, “…the Board authorizes the payment of a $200,000 retention bonus…” (emphasis added).

  2. 1001 Adjuncts: Adjunct Union President Kate Henderson reported that the total number of adjuncts at Kean now exceeds 1000 for the first time ever. There are now as many adjuncts as there are tales in the “Arabian Nights”.
  3. Middle States Steering Committee Report: Steering Committee Co-Chairs Associate Provost Ken Sanders and Dr. Barbara Lee, along with special consultant Dr. Linda Best, presented a synopsis of the state of Kean’s re-accreditation process. One weakness identified in past Middle States reports that was discussed at the meeting was Kean’s need for more student outcomes assessment. I attempted to elucidate for the Board that rather than focusing on the real need to assess student learning, the administration is instead proposing more student evaluations of faculty. The Board seemed interested in this issue and in several others raised during the presentation and asked for regular updates from the Steering Committee.
  4. $15 million dorm contract approved: The Board approved a construction contract for $15 million for repairs and upgrades to the four oldest previously existing dormitories. The project will be financed by borrowing.
  5. Student housing fees going up: The Board approved new rates for the student housing for next academic year. The cost for two semesters in existing residential halls ranges from $7422 to $7838. These costs are up from an average of $6791 for last year and $7266 this year. Because of stipulations in the bonding that paid for them, the revenues from the new residence halls must cover the total cost of operating the halls – including servicing the debt – the fees for the new residential halls are higher, running from $8800 to $10,000. These are up from the $8600 to $9400 cost for this year.

    Attachments to this email bulleting:

    Letter to Chairman Enlow
    KFT President's Address to BOT 12-5-09