Faculty in talks about labor studies

A fundamental difference of opinion among IU's faculty became apparent Friday at an open forum held to determine whether a massive restructuring and dismantling of the Division of Labor Studies is needed. \nThe division's supporters sought to demonstrate to the audience that it was actually a money maker, with the 2005-2006 term being its most financially productive year yet, and that no reductions to the division have to be made. \nIn contrast, opponents of keeping the multi-campus division as it is, said it would be losing money for the next few years and thus could no longer exist as a non-departmental unit spread across six IU campuses and instead would have to face significant cutbacks. \n"Labor studies is going to be restructured, it's a matter of how," said Mark Sothmann, dean for Research and Graduate Studies and interim director of DLS. \nHe said the first option of his presentation was for DLS to find an existing school or department with whom to merge. If that doesn't work, his second option is to divide the division into two regional centers, excluding Bloomington, which would downsize the division to some lengths. His final option would be to disband the division.\nWhen DLS went into a budgetary crisis triggered by the removal of $358,000 in state assistance, DLS professor Steven Ashby, a supporter of avoiding downsizing to the division, headed a committee to restructure the budget. With the reforms installed, the Bloomington faculty now runs its own democratically elected self-administration, accepts additional workload and offers online courses. The result of their changes was that the DLS income increased and their cash reserves spiked to $1.3 million in the spring of 2006. \n"Our budget used to be exemplary and now it is under attack," Ashby said. \nWhen DLS has looked to other departments for mergers, Ashby said the departments have declined the offers, pointing to the negative figures offered by Sothmann.\n"There is a predetermined decision to dismantle the program," Ashby said. "If we were called corporate studies instead of labor studies would we be talking about shutting down the program?" Answering his own question, he responded with an emphatic "no." \nLynn Duggan, associate professor of labor studies, said that "expenses are being over-estimated and our income is being under-estimated" by the administration led by Sothmann.\nSeveral other faculty members raised their voices in support of DLS Friday.\nIn response to the suggestion that DLS poses a "academic culture" clash to other departments at the University, philosophy professor Milton Fisk said the labor studies faculty offers a perspective not found anywhere else on campus. \n"Not to have resident faculty on this campus will be a tragedy," he said. \nSothmann said that the department has to find a merging partner. \n"We're good to go if IUPUI said DLS would fit in well to Applied Health Sciences," he said. \nKelly Kish, chief of staff for the University Faculty Council, said all the multi-campus schools are under review and that DLS had to find a merger partner. \n"The links need to be made between the goals and aims of labor studies and other areas of the school," she said. Joan Hawkins, associate professor of communication and culture, suggested direct interdisciplinary talks between members of IU's faculty as a way to solve the alleged problem of culture clashing.\n"We do not have the sense that we are in a good faith process," Ashby said. "Normally with academic mergers the administration works with the faculty and doesn't tell them to go off on their own." \nHe stressed that DLS is both an intellectually important part of campus and an academically viable division.\nAfter the formal presentation and comment period, about 15 faculty and community members stuck around to talk some more. \nThe need to save the division was palpable in their tones as they questioned the motives of the administration. Many said this was the first time they had heard several of the arguments against allowing DLS to remain as it is and, in Ashby's words, to allow it to "teach students."\nFisk asked, "Is this a problem or a solution looking for a problem? As an outsider I could not see what the real problem was"