slu report on biondi
TRANSCRIPT
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FacultyEvidenceand
CommunicationsCommittees
ReporttotheBoardofTrustees
OntheStateofSaintLouisUniversity
December10,2012
Aboveall,trustintheslowworkofGod.
Weareimpatientofbeingonthewayto
somethingunknown,
somethingnew.
TeilharddeChardin
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ReporttotheBoardofTrustees
OntheStateofSaintLouisUniversity
December2012
EXECUTIVESUMMARY
1. Introduction: This report, drawing on the contributions ofmany faculty members, sets out tounderstand the current state of the institution and the conditions that underlie the recent
unprecedentedvotesofnoconfidenceinthePresidentandtheVicePresidentofAcademicAffairs.
2. Whatthevotesofnoconfidencereveal: Byacademictradition,thevotesarecallsfortheremovalof the officials involved. Those by the Senate were not the actions of a few but of official
representativesofthe900+facultyservingineveryschoolandcollegeoftheUniversity(exceptthe
Madridcampus,whichsentaletterofsupport).BeforethevoteonthePresident,senatorsreported
unitbyunitonthewidespreadfacultysupportforsuchadecisivemeasure.
3. NeedforimmediateactionbytheBoard:SurveysofacademicchairsinArtsandSciencesshowanalarmingnumberoffacultymanyofthemjuniorbutothersestablished,withsubstantialgrant
fundingwhoareseekingemploymentelsewherebecauseofthecurrentcrisis.Boardactionshowingseriousengagementinresolvingthecrisisatthetopmayhelptostaveoffdeparturesthat
willsettheUniversitybackinqualityandprominenceformanyyears.
4. MishandlingofUniversityfinances:UnderstandingtherecentproblemsoftheUniversityrequiresunderstandingitsfinances.Inkeyindicatorssuchasgrowthoftheendowment,alumnigiving,and
grantfunding,theUniversityhasdeclinedsothatitlagsbehindmanyofitsofficialpeerinstitutions.
5. Precipitousdropinnationalrankings :Inconsequenceofdecliningfundingforacademicprograms,SLUhasfalleninrankingscomparedwithpeeruniversities.Atatimewhentheadministrationhas
stressedthegoalofmovingintothetop50universitiesinthenation,SLUsrankingshaveinfact
droppedmorethanthoseofanyotherinstitutioninthetop100.
6.Failure to adequately support academics: Largely because President Biondi stresses real estatedevelopmentattheexpenseofacademics,fundingforstudents,faculty,andprogramshassuffered.
Many departmental operating budgetshave not increased for13years, thelibrary is chronically
underfunded, faculty salaries are at uncompetitive levelsand this despite healthy operating
surplusesfortheUniversity.Ourrecentdramaticdeclineinnationalrankingswillbereversedonly
by spendingmore onacademics rather than real estatedevelopmentandby returningdecisions
aboutacademicprogramingtothefaculty.
7. Impactsonstudents:Incomparisonwithourpeerinstitutions,weareextremelyhighinnetcosttostudents andbelow average in funding for academics.Not surprisingly, students struggle topay
theirbills,leadingtolowgraduationrates.Recentlydiscoveredstrategicplansindicateapushto
stresson-linecoursesandlargelecturesoverthesmalldiscussionclassesthatparentsexpectofan
expensive Jesuiteducation.A repressiveclimateoncampus,attacksonrespectedfaculty leaders,andconcernsaboutadropinthevalueofaSLUdegreehavealsohadseriousimpactsonstudents.
8. Presidents lack of full disclosure to the Board: The President has maintainedawall betweenTrustees,facultyandstudentsthathaspreventedcommunicationaboutproblemsthathavebeen
developingforyears. With respectto theUniversitysfinances, rankings,alumnigiving,andother
academicindicators,thepresentationthatthePresidentsenttofacultyandtheBoardonOctober
30 stresses data carefully selected to be favorable and ignores or minimizes information that
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indicatesseriousproblems. Iftypical,thepresentationisanindicationthattheBoardhasnotbeen
keptappropriatelyinformed.
9. UnprofessionalconductbythePresident: Inrecentappearancesbeforeseveralfacultygroupsandrepresentativesof thestaff, thePresident hasnamedprominentmembersof the faculty, calling
themliarsandsuggestingthattheSenaterejectedDr.Patankarandhisproposalsoutofracialor
religiousbias.
10. Improper centralization and a culture of secrecy: The administration has departed from bestpracticesat topAmericanuniversitiesbynotdisclosingthebylawsoftheBoardofTrustees.Ithas
also attempted to centralize evaluation and rewards for faculty rather than entrusting such
measurestochairsanddeanswhoknowtheirdisciplinesbest.Moregenerally,ithaspaidlipservice
to consultationwhile developing plans in secret,without the shared governance usual atmajor
researchinstitutions.Acaseinpointistherecentcutintheacquisitionsbudgetforthelibrary.
11. Inappropriate handlingofbuilding projects: DecisionstomovetheSchoolofPublicHealthand,more recently, theLawSchoolwereundertakenwithoutproperlyconsulting thefaculty.Thisand
otherprecipitousactionscontributedtotheangryandpublicresignationlastsummeroftheDeanof
theLawSchool.Constantacquisitionofpropertyandconstructionofinessentialprojectssuchasthe
HotelIgnacioarenotappropriatewhenSLUsacademicmissionisnotbeingappropriatelyfunded.
12.Faults in strategic planning: AlthougharecentlydiscoveredUniversityStrategicPlanwasneverapprovedbythefaculty,versionsofitseemtohavebeenapprovedbytheTrusteesandpresented
insecrecytotheUniversitysaccreditationbody,theHigherLearningCommission.Theplancontains
inembryotheproposalsofDr.Patankaronfacultyanddepartmentalevaluationthathaverecently
causedsuchcontroversy.ItalsolaysoutpotentiallyharmfulplanstochangethenatureofaSLU
educationtofavorlargelecturesandon-linecourses.
13.Violations of required procedures and contracts: Dr. Patankars proposals have often beendevelopedwithoutreferenceto thecontractualagreementscontainedin theFacultyManual.His
many violations of required procedure also include establishment of doctoral programs that he
favoredwithoutthenecessaryapprovaloftheBoardofGraduateStudies.
14.Dysfunctionin theOfficeof AcademicAffairs: Emphasisonplanningratherthanadministration,alongwiththeimpositionofburdensomereportingandapprovalprocessescentralizedinthehands
of the Vice President, have led to unprecedented delays in processing vital paperwork at the
University.TheimportantandpointlesslystallednewLatinoStudiesProgramisacaseinpoint.
15.ConclusionontheUniversitymission:Inalteringtherelationshipbetweentheupperadministrationandthefacultyandstudentsfromoneoftrustandsupporttooneofdisrespect,retribution,and
suppression,theUniversityhasdepartedfromtheJesuittraditionthatisthesourceofmuchofits
greatnessandhopeforthefuture.
SOURCESOFDATA
NumericaldatainthisreportcamefromtheDepartmentofEducationsNationalCenterforEducation
DataSystem,U.S.NewsandWorldReport,TheChronicleofHigherEducation,TheSaintLouisBusiness
Journal,andtheSaintLouisUniversityFactbook.
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REPORT
1.INTRODUCTION
ThereportbelowgrewoutofanattemptbyfacultyfromvariousschoolsandcollegesofSaintLouis
Universitytounderstandthecurrentstateofaninstitutionthatwelove.Manyhavecollaboratedinthe
effort, spending hundreds of hours researching, checking, and rechecking the facts in order to find
answerstothreefundamentalquestions:
WhyareournationalrankingsinU.S. News andWorld Reportdeclining rapidlywhen, by allaccounts, our students and our reputation have never been better and our faculty is at its
highestlevelofproductivityandnationalprominenceinmanyyears?
WhydoesitcostastudentmoretoattendSLUthanitdoestoattendpeerinstitutions,andwhyisourfundingforacademicslower,thoughnewbuildingprojectsneverlackforfunds?
And why has the higher administration recently departed so radically from administrativepracticesacceptedasnormsatthevirtuallyalltopU.S.researchuniversities?
BecausePresidentBiondiandVicePresidentPatankarkeepuniversityfinancesandthebasisofmanyof
theirdecisionssecret,rarelyconsultingthefacultyinmeaningfulways,wecannotclaimtohavefound
alltheanswerstothesequestions.
Whatwehaveuncovered,however,isthenatureandextentofmanyoftheseriousproblemsthatface
theUniversityproblems that, in their aggregate, support the recent votes of no confidence in the
PresidentandVicePresident.
In our view, current conditions requiredecisive actions by the Board of Trustees at its December
meeting.Wedonotpresumetoknowwhatallthoseactionshouldbe,butiffacultyaretogaintrustin
theBoard,clearindicationsofseriousengagementwiththeproblemswefaceanddeterminationtoset
them right througha change inourtop leadership isessential. And it cannotwaitlong. Forreasons
spelled out below, careful deliberation about the crisis will need to be balanced with speed and
decisivenessiftheUniversityisnottosufferseriousharminthemonthsthatlieahead.
Wehopethat,basedonthejointstatementofinitialactionsbytheexecutivecommitteesoftheSenateand the Trustees on November 30, the two groups can agree on concrete steps to address the
universitysdifficulties,andthatrecommendationscanbebroughttothefullSenateforconsideration
inthenearfuture.
2.WHATTHEVOTESOFNOCONFIDENCEREVEAL
OverwhelmingvotesofnoconfidencesuchasthosetakenrecentlyatSLUareextremelyrareinU.S.
highereducation,andevenrareratJesuituniversities.Bytradition,theyareequivalenttocallingforthe
replacementoftheadministratorsinvolved.Followingnearlyunanimousvotesofnoconfidencebythe
FacultyCouncilofArtsandSciences,theFacultySenateoftheUniversityvotedonSeptember25(by50
to3)toaskthePresidenttoreplaceVPPantankar.OnOctober30(by51to4),theSenatecalledontheBoardofTrusteestoremovePresidentBiondi.
Thesewerenot the actionsof a disaffected few,norweretheyconfinedtoasinglecollege.Asthe
officiallysanctionedrepresentativebodyoftheentirefaculty,theSenateheardontherecordfromall
thelargestcollegesandschools.TheMadridcampus,whichisnotrepresentedbytheSenate,senta
letterofsupport.
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122%
89% 87%
66%62%
42%37%
7%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
120%
140%
DrexelUniversity
FordhamUniversity
UniversityofDenver
AmericanUniversity
MarquetteUniversity
UniversityofDayton
LoyolaUniversity
SaintLouisUniversity
EndowmentGrowth2000-2011
$600,000,000
$700,000,000
$800,000,000
$900,000,000
$1,000,000,000
$1,100,000,000
$1,200,000,000
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
Endowment(2012Dollars)
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$70,000,000
$80,000,000
$90,000,000
$100,000,000
$110,000,000
$120,000,000
$130,000,000
$140,000,000
$150,000,000
$160,000,000
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
TotalGrantsandGifts
SLU PeerAverage
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
FordhamUniversity
MarquetteUniveristy
UniversityofDayton
DrexelUniversity
SaintLouisUniversity
LoyolaUniversity
AmericanUniversity
UniversityofDenver
AlumniGivingRate(From2013USNewsBestColleges)
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5.THEUNIVERSITYSPRECIPITOUSDROPINNATIONALRANKINGS
Inconsequenceofdecliningfundingforacademicprograms,SLUhasfalleninrankingscomparedwith
peeruniversities.From2004to2013(theonlyyearsinwhichfiguresonthetop100institutionsare
available),U.S. News and World Report has lowered our rank from 78 to 92. At a time when the
administrationistoutingitsgoaltomoveintothetop50,SLUsplaceintherankingshasdroppedfaster
andfurtherthanthatofanyotherinstitutionin thetop100. IftheUniversitydoesnotchangecourseandbegintofocusonacademicsmoreandreal-estatedevelopmentless,wearenotonlyunlikelytorise
intothetop50,butwewillbeluckytostayinthetop100.
6.FAILURETOADEQUATELYSUPPORTACADEMICS
Althoughtheadministrationclaimsthat thesolutionto itsproblemswithnationalacademic rankings
lieswith its900+faculty,amore likelyexplanationsincethe facultyhas improveddramaticallyover
thelasttwodecadesisthattheproblemlieswiththetopleadershipoftheUniversity.
TheamountofmoneyspentonacademicsforeachstudentroseduringthefirstpartofthePresidents
tenure. Since 2000, however, it has dropped nearly 6% in constant dollars. Academic spending per
studentisoneofthemajorcomponentsinthecollegerankingsofU.S.NewsandWorldReport,andit
correlatescloselywithoverallranking.Whileourspendinghasbeenlevelingoffanddropping,ourpeers
haveconcentratedonacademicsmorethanwehave,allowingthemtosurpassusintherankings.
WithoutaccesstotheUniversitysfinances,wecannotprovideadetailedanalysisoftheflowoffundsto
particularnon-academicprojects.Whatisclear,however,isthattheAdministrationhasbeengivingthe
purchaseandconstructionoffacilitiesandbuildings priorityinwaysthataredebilitating:
Mostacademicdepartmentsareunderfunded,withoperatingbudgetsatorbelowtheir2000levels. Sinceuniversityenrolmenthas increasedbyapproximatelya third,departmentshave
beenforcedtodomorewithless.
Tuitionhasgoneupsteadily,thoughoutlaysperstudentatSLUhavefallen6%since2000whilethoseamongourpeershaveincreasedbyanaverageof19%.
76
78
80
8284
86
88
90
92
94
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
USNewsRanking
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Library acquisitions,amajor indicatorof theacademic qualityofauniversityandits faculty,haveforyearslaggedbehindthoseatthebestJesuituniversities.Overthepastdecade,library
spendingperstudenthasplummetedfromfarabovepeeraveragestowellbelowthem.
Faculty salariescurrently frozenrose just 1.7% in thepreceding twoyears,while averagesalariesfortopadministratorsshotup15%.Afteradjustmentforinflation,facultysalarieshave
fallen8.6%since2000,whilethoseforfacultyatourpeerinstitutionshaveincreasedby3.5%.
According to theChronicle of Higher Education, after adjusting for cost of living SLU faculty
salariesareinthebottom25%ofallU.S.universities.
Anditneednotbeso.Accordingtothe SaintLouisBusinessJournal,inthefiscalyearjustended,when
facultyandstaffwerecalledontoacceptafreezeinwagesandsalaries forthecomingyear,SLUhada
$41.7millionoperatingsurplus.Themarginofthatsurplussince2008hasrangedbetween5.5%and
9%.
Itisdifficulttounderstand,then,whySLUisnotspendingonacademicsanything likewhatitsofficial
peer institutionsdo.Weleadtheminnetcosttostudents;infact,amonguniversitiesofcomparable
sizeandkind,werank17thinthenationinthatstatistic.Yetourpeersspendtwotothreetimesasmuch
onacademicsperstudentaswedo.
If theAdministration were truly serious aboutmoving into the top 50, itwould change its funding
priorities,focusingonstudentsandfacultyinkeycategoriesthatdeterminetherankingsin U.S.News
andWorldReport.Theseincludegeneralfinancialresources,selectivity,andalumnigiving,buttheyalso
includea numberof academic indicators, including reputation, retention rates, graduation rates and
performance, class size, student-teacher ratios,and faculty salaries. In all these, adequateacademic
fundingistheissue,andinallofthem,weranklowamongourpeers.
$28,000
$29,000
$30,000
$31,000
$32,000
$33,000
$34,000
$35,000
$36,000
$37,000
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010
AcademicSpendingPerStudent(2012
Dollars)
SLU PeerAverage
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AverageFacultySalary(2010-11)Among290NationalUniversities
Rank School Salary
17 WashingtonUniversity $115,29225 BostonCollege $110,740
28 NotreDame $108,060
31 Georgetown $107,60148 FordhamUniversity $103,253
71 AmericanUniversity $95,477
84 DrexelUniversity $90,982
101 LoyolaUniversity-Chicago $88,520124 MarquetteUniversity $84,605
147 UniversityofDenver $81,011172 SaintLouisUniversity $76,535
182 UniversityofDayton $74,879
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
LibrarySpendingPerStudent(2012Dollars)
SLU PeerAverage
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7.IMPACTSONSTUDENTS
ThenetpriceofattendingSaintLouisUniversityishighinrelationtothatofmostofourpeers.Since
ourstudentscouldattendWashingtonUniversityforaboutthesamenetprice,andcouldenrollatNotre
Dame, Boston College, orGeorgetown for significantly less, it is not surprising thatmany leave the
University,asreflectedinourrelativelylowgraduationrates.
Ofevenmoreconcernistheupperadministrationsapparentintentiontotakemeasuresthatarelikely
tomakethesitutionworse.InasecretStrategicPlanforAcademicAffairsrecentlydiscoveredbythe
faculty,theAcademicVicePresidentsetsoutincentivesthatwouldreducethenumberofsmallclasses
andprivilegelecturecoursesoverthosetaughtbydiscussion.Theplanalsosetsagoalofincreasingon-
linecoursesto30%ofallofferings.Ifnationalstudiesofretentionareanyindication,suchtacticswould
makeaSLUeducationlesspersonal,moredistant,andsolesslikelytoretainstudents.Thedoubtthat
suchchangeswouldcastonthequalityoftheUniversitywouldalsodiminishthevalueofaSLUdegree.
Therepressiveclimatethathasbeencreatedisalsoaffectingstudents.Firingdepartmentchairsand
deanswhohavespokenoutoverthelastthreeyearshasdisruptedacademicprogramsandsetabad
exampleofthewayalargeorganizationsuchasauniversityshouldtreatitsmiddle-leveladministrators.
Dismissing facultycriticismwithoutgivingit a fairhearingasDr.Patankardid recently inaddressing
theStudentGovernmentAssociationandasFr.Biondihasdoneinhisvisitstovariousgroups,academic
departments,and schoolsbreedsdistrustwithin theuniversitycommunity andplacesstudents ina
cross-fire.
Withremarkableperceptiveness,however,ourstudentshavegonetheirownwayandformedtheirown
viewsof the current situation. Their concerns, as set forth in the report accompanying the Student
GovernmentAssociationsvoteofnoconfidenceinDr.PatankarandFr.Biondi,shouldbetakeninto
accountinanyappraisalofthepresentturmoiloncampusanditsprobablelong-termeffects.
$20,000
$22,000
$24,000
$26,000
$28,000
$30,000
$32,000
$34,000
NetPrice(2010-2011)
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8.PRESIDENTSLACKOFFULLDISCLOSURETOTHEBOARD
BystrictlylimitingaccesstotheTrustees,Fr.Biondihasarrangedthattheyhavevirtuallynoopportunity
to communicatewith faculty or students. As a result, the body legally chargedwith overseeing the
Universityhas,untilnow,hadno independentsourceofinformationabouttheseriousproblems that
wearefacing.
ThepresentationthatthePresidentsenttotheBoardonOctober30raisesconcernsabouthiscandorin
giving the Trustees a complete picture of the situation. With respect to the Universitys finances,rankings,andothervitaldata,theassessmentthathegivesisselectiveandmisleading.
Fr.BiondinoteswithpridethatSLUsendowmentgrew24.3%between2010and2011.Unlikeourpeer institutions, however, SLUs endowment hasnot recovered from thecrashof2008.
Institutionssuch asGeorgetown,BostonCollege,and Fordhamhave allmadeup theground
theylost.SLUhasnot.
President Biondi claims that SLUhasmoved up in eightdifferentmetrics in theU.S.Newsrankings. Themetricshecites,however, are not themain ones bywhichU.S.News actually
ranksuniversities.Moreover,thepresidentmisstatesSLUsrankforacademicreputation.We
arenot64thinthenationbut104
th.
ThePresidentpointsoutcorrectlythat86%ofSLUstudentsarereceivingfinancialaid.Themoretellingnumber,however,isthatSLUmeetsonly64%ofitsstudentsoverallneed,anumberthat
placesusnearthebottomofourpeerandaspirationalinstitutions.
The increase in operating revenue from $267 million in 1986 to $704 million in 2012 isimpressive,asistheexpansionofthestudentbodyfrom9,869to13,981inthesameperiod.
Whentakentogetherandadjustedfor inflation,however,thesefiguresactuallyshowan11%
declinein operating revenueper studentfor theperiod1986-2012. Inconstant 2012dollars,
SLUspent$57,099perstudentin1986butonly$50,354in2012.
60%
65%
70%
75%
80%
85%
GraduationRate(From2013USNewBestColleges)
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9.UNPROFESSIONALCONDUCTBYTHEPRESIDENT
InresponsetotherecentactionsoftheFacultyCouncilandSenate,thePresidenthasnotconducted
himself inwaysappropriate in a chief executive officer.As numerous witnesses canattest,duringa
seriesof recentvisitstotheDepartmentofSociologyandCriminalJustice,the SchoolofNursing, the
School for Professional Studies, and the Staff Advisory Committee, Fr. Biondi engaged in serious
misconduct:
Withoutexplanationor substantiation,PresidentBiondi identified distinguishedmembers ofthefacultyasliars.Theseincluded,amongothers,thePresidentoftheSenate,theDeanofArts
and Sciences, the Henle Endowed Chair of Philosophy, and the Chair of the Philosophy
Department. Two of those under public attack are Catholic priests. At any university,
ungrounded accusations of untruthfulness by a president are serious, since they attack the
credibilityessentialtoeffectiveteaching,research,anduniversityservice.Atourownuniversity,
thegravityofsuchmisconductisevengreater,sinceSLUhasasitsJesuitmissionthepursuitof
truthtothegreatergloryofGodandfortheserviceofhumanity.
Inseveralforums,Fr.BiondialsosuggestedthattheFacultySenateactedagainstDr.Patankaroutofracialorreligiousbias,seeinghim,inthePresidentswords,asnotoneofus.Inmaking
thisslanderouschargeagainstsomesixtyrespectedrepresentativesofthefaculty,thePresident
offerednoevidence.
10.IMPROPERCENTRALIZATIONANDCULTUREOFSECRECY
SincethePresidenthaskeptsecretthe BylawsoftheBoardofTrustees,wedonotknowtheobligations
of thehigheradministration totheTrusteesor theprecise natureof theauthority that theTrustees
exerciseovertheadministration.NocopyoftheBylawshasbeenpublishedsince1985.
Since,however,thevotesofnoconfidencenowcallforcollectiveactiongovernedbythoseBylaws,they
are asmaterial totheleadershipof the FacultySenate asto the Board. It isimportant toknow, forexample, whether the Bylaws allow the Board right of removal of the Vice President of Academic
Affairs.Thoseof1985allowsuchaction,butsincethen,theremayhavebeenamendments. Itisvital
thattheBoardofTrusteescommunicatethebylawstotheFacultySenatebeforefurtheractionsare
taken.
Moregenerally,centralizationandsecrecyextendingwellbeyondtheusualpracticesofmajorresearch
universitiescharacterize thecurrenthigheradministration at SLU. Dr.Patankarhasa long historyof
ignoring faculty views, planning major changes to the University in secret, then presenting them
suddenly,withlittletimetorespond.
Themostnotablerecentexampleishisill-conceivedproposalsonfacultyevaluationandtenure,which
thedeans,FacultySenaterepresentatives,and theotherVicePresidentsforcedhimtowithdrawata
meetingonSeptember14.Itisnotable,however,thatheandthePresidentwereamongaminoritywho
continuedtosupportthematthemeeting,votingagainstthelargemajoritythatrejectedthem.
TheinitialreleaseoftheproposalsinAugustcausedafirestormunlikeanythingseenatSLUindecades,
not only because they abolished tenure but also because they established a single, unwise and
unworkablepointsystem forevaluatingfacultyacrossallschoolsof theUniversity.Theissuewasnot
faculty evaluation, which has long been mandatory every year, or even removal of faculty for
underperformance,which isallowedundertheFacultyManual.The issuewastakingpowertoassess
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facultyperformanceawayfromchairsanddeans,whoknowtheirdisciplines,andputtingitinthehands
oftheVicePresidentandPresident,whodont.
Sincenoothermajorresearchuniversityinthecountryoperatesinthisway, topfacultyarelesslikely
tocomehere, andthebest currentfaculty aremore likely to leave.Nodoctor,lawyer, engineer, or
otherprofessionalinoutsidepracticewouldacceptsuchsecondguessingfromadministratorswholack
theexpertisetoevaluatethepersonswork.
Sharedgovernancerecognizesthatfacultymembersbecauseoftheirdisciplinaryknowledge,graspof
professionalstandards,anddirectinvolvementinteachingandresearcharethepeoplebestsuitedto
makedecisionsrelatedtomostacademicfunctionsoftheinstitution.Traditionally,theadministrationin
topAmericanuniversitiesbuildsbuildings,recruitsandenrollsstudents,raisesfunds,andhandlesother
supportfunctionsforthefaculty.TheAdministrationisnotthemaster,buttheservant.
UnderDr.Patankar,however,thatrelationshiphasbeenreversed.TheFacultyManualhaslargelybeen
ignored."Consultation"tendstomeancollectingfacultyviewsonlytoignoreoroverrulethem,oftenby
promulgating policy changes shortly before they are to go into effect. "Faculty representation"
increasinglymeansthatafewprofessorssitontemporarydecision-makingbodiesoutofsightofthe
restofthefaculty.CommunicationbetweenthefacultyandtheBoardofTrusteesistightlyrestricted
tothepointthat, inthecurrentcrisis,few faculty even knowwho theBoardmembersareorwhat
responsibilitiestheyhavetowardtheUniversity.
ThePresidentsabrasivestyleandfrequentfiringofmembersofthehigheradministrationhasmadeit
difficultfordeanstospeakopenlyaboutacademicproblems.Ithasalsoledtoconstant administrative
turnover,whichmakesplanningandimplementationofacademicprogramsdifficult.Since2004,there
havebeen5deansinPublicService,5inParksCollege,4intheLawSchool,4inPublicHealth,4inArts
andSciences,and3eachinPhilosophyandLettersandattheSLUcampusinMadrid.Combinedwith
disregardforsharedgovernance,suchturnoverinacademicdeanshasledtocentralizationofacademic
decisionsinthehandsofDr.PatankarandthePresident,oftenwithdamagingresults.
TherecentreductionoftheLibrarybudgetby10%isa caseinpoint.Studentsandfacultyrelyonthe
electronicandprintresourcesofthelibrarymorethanonanyothersinglesourceofresearch,analysis,information, creative work, and reflection. Since great universities have great libraries, faculty
recruitmentisoftenaffectedbytheresourcesavailableinPiusLibrary.
YetinlateJune2012,justasthenewfiscalyearwasabouttobegin,Dr.Patankarannounceddebilitating
cutstotheacquisitionsbudgetofthelibraryandaplantoincorporatethefacilityintoanew Schoolof
Informaticswiththeintentionofbringingintuitionfromit.Hedidsowithoutreviewordeliberationby
the library staff or the faculty at large, and without offering any justification. Had there been
consultation,librariansmighthavepreparedplanstodealwithongoingsubscriptionstoprintandonline
resources,and facultymight havewarned himof thefolly of taking a shared research resource and
attemptingtomakeitpartofaprofit-makingunit.
11.INAPPROPRIATEHANDLINGOFBUILDINGPROJECTS
Asthehighlypublicexchangeofangryletterssurroundingtheresignationlastsummerof theDeanof
the Law School revealed, Fr. Biondis plan tomove the school downtownwas carried out without
appropriateconsultationwiththedeanorthefaculty.
A similarlyheavy-handed decisionwasmadepreviously inmoving theSchool of PublicHealthaway
fromunitsthatithadlongcollaboratedwith,includingBusinessandLaw.Thoughprovidingspacefora
growinguniversityischallenging,tomakeprecipitousmoveswithoutproperconsultationandallowance
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for thevital needs of affectedprograms isbadmanagement.Foranadministration that says that it
prizescollaborationacrossdisciplinarylines,itisinexplicable.
12.FAULTSINSTRATEGICPLANNING
The reason that the President proposed his now defunct Blue Ribbon Committee was, in part, toimplement an ill-conceived University Strategic Plan. Although such a document was apparently
approvedbytheBoardinDecember2011andpresentedinMarch2012totheUniversitysaccrediting
agency,theHigherLearningCommission,itwaskeptsecretatthattimeinalockedroom.Facultyand
studentshavestillnotbeenallowedtoseeitinfinalform,thoughearlydraftshavebeendiscoveredand
circulated.
The plan was never submitted to faculty for approval, though parts of it were discussed without
disclosurethattheywerepartofa finalstrategicplan.Asdiscussedabove,theplanshowslackof the
mostbasicunderstandingofJesuiteducationandthestepsneededtoriseinnationalstature.Italso
contains in embryonic form the evaluation systems used to close departments last year and the
controversialfacultyevaluationandtenureproposalshastilywithdrawnbyDr.Patankarthisfall.
13.VIOLATIONSOFREQUIREDPROCEDURESANDCONTRACTS
WhileDr.PatankarwasstillaninterimProvostin2009-10,hegainedapprovalfromtheTrusteesfornew
doctoralprogramsthathefavored,althoughtheynotbeensubmittedtotheBoardofGraduateStudies,
asrequired.
Throughouthistenure,theVicePresidenthasrepeatedlyandseriouslyviolated theFacultyManual,a
bindingcontractbetweentheAdministrationandthefaculty.Hedidthismostseriouslybyundertaking
planningwithoutthesortoffacultyconsultationrequired.Notableexamplesare
Asecretlydevelopedandquicklydiscreditedstrategicplanin2009-10 TheevaluationstandardsusedtoclosetheDepartmentsofPublicPolicyStudiesandCounselingandFamilyTherapyin2011-12 ThesecretUniversityStrategicplanof2011-12 Theproposalsonfacultyevaluationthatsparkedthecurrentcrisis.
14.DYSFUNCTIONINTHEOFFICEOFTHEVICEPRESIDENT
Apracticalresultofrecentover-centralizationisthat,underVPPatankar, routinedecision-makinghas
becomeslowandinefficient.Approvalstohirenewfaculty,sendoutannualpersonnelcontracts,grant
sabbaticalsandleaves,approveforeigntravel,andsignoffongrantproposalsaredelayedfarlonger
thanunderpreviousadministrations.
AnotableexampleisthenewLatinoStudiesProgram.Developedoverthelasttwoyearstoservethe
growing Hispanic population of the U.S., which has a Catholic heritage and tends to hold Jesuit
educationinhighregard,theinitiativewasapprovedlastspringbyallthenecessarycommittees.More
thanhalfayearlater,however,ithasstillnotbeenattendedtoorsignedbyDr.Patankar.
Newly imposed and cumbersome on-line systems to handle activity data on the faculty and staff,
prepare their annual evaluations, and reimburse them for travel have contributed to delays and
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frustration.Sincethesystemsarecomplex,laborintensive,andslow,theyprovidecentralizedoversight
attheexpenseofefficiency.
15.CONCLUSIONONTHEUNIVERSITYMISSION
BeforethePresidentbegantoseekunprecedentedcontroloveracademicsattheUniversity,andbeforeDr. Patankar joined the higher administration, SLU faculty were regarded as valued and trusted
professionalsintheirfields,companionsintheJesuitmission toseekthetruth,educate,andserve.
For years, professors have put up with underfunding for academics and overemphasis on building
projects because they love what the University stands for: personalized teaching and mentoring of
students,careforthepoorandmarginalized,andconcernforthegoodofsocietyandthegreaterglory
ofGod.
SinceFatherBiondiappointedDr.PatankarasVPAA, theVicePresidentslowregardforconsultation,hisunwise centralization of authority, and his establishment of impersonalmanagement systems have
changedallthat.Anow-iconicphotographofastudentholdingasignduringarecentprotestsuggests
thedepthofthebacklash.ItreadsDisrespected,disdained,anddevaluedNOMORE.
Facultyprepareforanaverageof7-8yearstoreceiveaPh.D.,vieforpositionsinhighlycompetitive
nationalsearches,andareonsupervisedprobationforanother5yearsbeforetheyreceivetenure.They
generallyundergothe rigorsoflongpreparationoutofaloveoflearningandteaching.
ToaskthemtodotheirworkforpointsinanumericevaluationschemeofthesortfavoredbyDr.
Patankaristomisunderstandtheextentoftheirdedicationandthedepthoftheircommitmenttothe
Universitysmission.Totreatcompanionsinagreatandexcitingworkasemployeesinneedof
burdensomemonitoringmechanismsandcrassincentivessuchasgiftcards,asrecentlyproposed,isto
demeanthemandtheentireinstitution.
Unthinkableas itmay seemata Jesuit university,96%ofthemore than260 facultywho answered
surveys in theCollege ofArts andSciences this fallreporteda climate of fearon campus,and82%
expectedretributioniftheydaredtospeakout.
In such a climate, and with so many instances of serious misadministration weighing against Dr.
PatankarandFr.Biondi,itisdifficulttoseehowtheycancontinueintheirpositionslongerthanittakes
tofindinterimleadersandbeginanorderlytransition.Asadistinguishedfacultymemberrecentlyput
it,youcanforceauniversityintosubmission,butyoucannotforceitintogreatness. Whatisneeded
nowisafreshstart,arenewalatthetop,inwhichleadersworkcloselyandcreativelywithfacultyto
expandknowledge,servetheneedy,andeducatetheyoung inthefinesttraditionof Jesuiteducation
RespectfullysubmittedbytheFacultyEvidenceand
CommunicationsCommittees