February 10, 2016

Dear Interim President Dolan,

We are writing to express our outrage at offensive and sexist remarks regarding female faculty members in the SUNY Excels Performance Improvement Plan 2015-2016.Rather than celebrating NCC’s ability to hire and retain full-time female faculty members, the authors of the report suggest that female faculty are over-represented at NCC and that this is a problem that should be accounted for. As a result, the authors write:

“Faculty positions have long been attractive to females at NCC. Low-cost, high quality childcare is available on campus – although there is currently a wait-list.Vacations are generous as are benefits. The standard commitment of 15-hours of instruction over 30 weeks yields a teaching load of 450 hours per academic year. Working hours are relatively flexible with teaching schedules assigned on the basis of seniority for both full-time and part-time faculty. And the burdens associated with the development of a competitive scholarly publications record are for the most part absent. Perhaps in consequence, females continue to outnumber males throughout the College community. This is not expected to change in the near- to mid-term.” (“PIP2015/2016”).

There are a number of offensive assumptions and implications in the above statement. First, why must women be accounted for or explained away? Second, while the existence of “low-cost, high quality childcare” on campus should be a source of pride for all affiliated with NCC and is certainly a potential recruiting tool, the assumption that childcare is of concern to only female faculty is erroneous and sexist. Male and female faculty members, for whom no parental leave is offered at NCC, both often have to make difficult decisions regarding their careers and childcare. The above statement is an insult to all NCC faculty who are parents. Additionally, it should go without saying that many female faculty at NCC do not have children; the vast majority of female faculty do not have small children.

More problematically, the second part of the statement suggests that NCC is an attractive institution because female faculty do not want to work very much, either at teaching or at publishing. First, the hour breakdown is inaccurate and minimizes the actual time commitments for a full-time faculty member. The report indicates that faculty will teach five classes (15hours) and spend zero hours preparing for class, grading essays and exams, corresponding with students via email, meeting with and mentoring students during office hours, attending committee meetings, and finally, staying abreast of developments in and contributing to their fields. That is, the report erroneously casts NCC faculty not as dedicated teachers or rigorous scholars. While it is true that we do not face the same pressure to publish as professors at other institutions, our promotion and tenure requirements make clear that remaining active in our fields is fundamental to our effectiveness as professors.

Finally, NCC faculty’s record of publications, honors, presentations, and awards should be a source of pride for this institution. Faculty affiliated with the Women’s Studies Project, for example, consistently produce high-level publications, including books from reputable independent and academic presses as well as articles in scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. This is true of female faculty from across the campus. Yet as a member of the Academic Senate pointed out on February 9, 2016, the statement in the P.I.P. suggests that women’s intellectual pursuits are but a “hobby.” This antiquated attitude is repugnant to those of us committed to serious scholarship and study. Further, this statement raises the question: are there any data indicating that female faculty at NCC are in fact publishing at lesser rates than male faculty? We suspect not; we wonder why this document then would even suggest that female faculty are drawn to careers which will make minimal demands on their intellectual capabilities.

But perhaps who publishes more is irrelevant because ultimately what this statement suggests is that none of the professors at NCC are asked to work very hard or do very much, that being a professor at NCC is so easy, even a woman can do it.

This information has been officially published and remains on the SUNY Excels website. Our faculty—male and female—has been misrepresented and our female faculty insulted. While we appreciate your remarks concerning the PIP at the February 9, 2016 Board of Trustees meeting, including your willingness to take responsibility for its transmission, we believe that the entire campus community deserves a formal apology. Further, we look forward to hearing that the document has been removed from the SUNY Excels website and that a revised P.I.P. has gone through the shared governance process.

Respectfully submitted,

Sara Hosey, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English and Women’s Studies Coordinator

Richard Newman, Professor, English Department

Florence Dee Boodakian, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Mary Lannon, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, English Department

Stella Apostolidis, Assistant Professor, English Department

Suzanne Kaebnick, Associate Professor, English Department

Julia Giordano, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Susan Cushman, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Elizabeth Abele, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Diana Milillo-Portugal, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Psychology Department

William Moeck, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Timothy Strode, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Phyllis Kurland, Student Personnel Services

Neela Saxena, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Michael Steinman, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Edward Boyden, Ph.D., Professor, History Department

Janet Farrell Leontiou, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Communications

Genette Alvarez-Ortiz, Chairperson, Student Personnel Services

Molly Ludmar Phelps, Student Personnel Services

Jane Segadelli, Ph.D., Psychologist, Student Personnel Services

Rosann Gonzalez, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Biology Department

Sharon Grossman, Specialist for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students, Center for Students with Disabilities

Suzanne Liff, Professor, Reading and Basic Education Department

Joanne Rondell, Assistant Professor, English Department

Tonia L. Payne, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Robert Lazaroff, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Valerie Lagakis, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Reading and Basic Education

Joyce Stern, Reading and Basic Education, Leaning Community Coordinator

Timothy Wood, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Thomas Bruckner, Assistant Professor, Physical Sciences Department

Barry Fruchter, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Dolly Litvak, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Scott Ash, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Holly Giordano, Associate Professor, Engineering/Physics/Technology Department

Jay Silverman, Professor, English Department

Emily Hegarty, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Chris Schwertman, Associate Professor, English Department

Darshna Katwala, Associate Professor, Reading and Basic Education Department

Lynn Rozzi, Art Department

Guy Pollio, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, English Department

Kim Ballerini, Associate Professor, English Department

Kimberly Reiser, Ph.D., Professor, Biology Department

Dolores de Manuel, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Christine Tuaillon, Associate Professor, Biology Department

Kathrine Jason, Associate Professor, English Department

Faren R. Siminoff, J.D., Ph.D., Professor, History, Political Science and Geography Department

Elizabeth Wheeler, Professor, English Department

Duane Esposito, MA, MFA, Professor, English Department

Jason Gorman, Professor, Art Department

Wendy J. Eisner, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology Department

Ashley Fifer, Lecturer, Language Immersion at NCC

Harry J. Marenstein, Associate Professor, Music Department

Michael Anzelone, Professor, English Department

Fran O’Connor, Ph. D., Professor Emerita, English Department

Gary Ostertag, Ph.D., Philosophy Department

Andrew Schopp, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Francesco Pupa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Philosophy Department

John D. Woods, English Department

Hedda Marcus, Professor, English Department

Minette Estevez, Professor, English Department

Evelyn Wortsman Deluty, Ph.D., Professor, Philosophy Department

Laura Sullivan, Technologist III, English Department

Cathy Fagan, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Deborah Madden, Writing Center

Paul Rosa, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Rosette Finneran, Associate Professor, English Department

Carol Farber, Professor Emerita, English Department

Sally Drucker, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

Stella Fox, Reading and Basic Education, Coordinator NCC 101

Claudia Cage, Associate Professor, Art Department

JoAnn Thissen, Physical Sciences Department

Alison Jane Guest, Assistant Professor, Art Department

Michael Niemczyk, Ph.D., English Department

Ashley Dunn, Student

Oyenike Oyewo, Student

Nicole Abatemarco, Student

Maggie O’Brien, Student

Joseph W. Bouton, Student

Kelley O’Neil, Student

Melissa Rivelli, Student

Alexis Orientale, Student

Allison Wich, Student

Irene Wool, Student

Paul Pandolfi, Student

Mark Ascher, Student

Richard Cohen, Co-Coordinator of the Honors Program, Assistant Professor, Physical Sciences Department

Barbara Horn, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, English Department

Virginia Hromulak, Ph.D., Associate Professor, English Department

Anissa Moore, Professor, Communications Department

Kristin Le Veness, Ph.D., Professor, English Department

David Stern, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Physical Sciences Department

Birgit Woelker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Biology Department

Debra Desanto, Professor Emeritus, Administrative Business Technology

James Hoyt, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Student Personnel Services

Chris Merlo, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Information Technology Department

Donna Hope, Marketing, Retail, Fashion Buying and Merchandising Department

Frank Frisenda, Professor, Engineering, Physics, and Technology Department

Dianne Guarino, Associate Director of Admissions

Scott Walden, Ph.D., Philosophy Department

Jill Fanuzzi, Assistant Director of Admissions

Nancy Rothbaum, Academic Advisement

Michael Steuer, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Former Chair of the Academic Senate

Paula Wheeler Carlo, Professor Emeritus, History, Political Science, and Geography Department

Diana Cannone, Academic Advisement

Charles Hicks, Assistant Professor, Chemistry Department

Phillip Pecorino, Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Philosophy Department

Gail Cavallo, Professor, Music Department

Steven Richman, Ph.D., Psychology Department

Catherine Weinstein, Professor, Biology Department

Dawn Smith, Student Personnel Services/Center for Students with Disabilities

Douglas Cody, Professor, Chemistry Department

Brian T. Murphy, Instructor, English Department

Myrna Pereira, M.S.W., Associate Director of Admissions

Arthur L. Friedman, Ed.D., MLS, MS Ed. Professor, Library

Cheryl Novins, Ed.D., Professor, Reading and Basic Education Department

Robert Toedter, Associate Professor, Art Department

Daniel Maldonado, Admissions Counselor

Kristin Quinn, Associate Professor, Reading and Basic Education Department

Carmine Desanto, Math, Computer Science, and Information Technology Department

Stephen Beck, Professor and Chair, Biology Department

Ann Tabachnikov, English Department

Abraham S. Mantell, Professor, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology Department

Darci Burdge, Professor, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology Department

Linda Boire, Assistant Professor, Hospitality Business Department

Elizabeth Hynes-Musnisky, Co-Coordinator of the Honors Program, Assistant Professor,Reading and Basic Education Department

Janine Ferraro, JD, Criminal Justice Department

Marsha Speigelman, Professor Emeritus, Library

Judy Suh, Associate Professor, President Women’s Faculty Association

Jaslin Kaur, Student, President of Women Student’s Association

Richard Delbango, M.S., M.L.S., Technologist III

Randall Spinks, Ph.D., English Department

Patti Tana, Professor Emerita, English Department

Shanice Bailey, NCC Alumna

Lucia Arias, NCC Alumna

Laura Raquel Perez, NCC Alumna

Douglas Radezky, Student

Hollis Kelly, NCC Alumna

Mena (Filomena) Romano, Associate Professor Emeritus, Art Department

Ronald Okuaki Lieber, M.F.A., L.P., English

Christine Faraday, M.A., M.L.S., Assistant Professor, Library

Paula Kreinbihl, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Computer Science, Information Technology Department

Lisa Korman, Psy.D., Psychology Department

Andrina Veit Cleveland, M.A., M.S.W., L.M.S.W., Professor, Heath Education Department

Pamela Flores, Ph.D., Psychology Department

Deirdre O’Connor, Assistant Professor, Communications Department

Ruth L. Goldfarb, Professor Emerita, Communications Department

Richard Conway, Professor Emeritus, Student Personnel Services

Jill Strahl, Associate Professor, Communications Department

Mark Malaszczyk, D.A., Social Studies Teacher, Babylon Junior-Senior High School, Adjunct Professor, History, Political Science and Geography Department

Donald Wade, Professor Emeritus, Engineer, Physics, Technology Department

Patricia T. Caro, Professor, History, Political Science, and Geography Department

Robert Einenkel, Professor, Theatre and Dance Department

Kerry Golde, Associate Professor, Reading and Basic Education Department

Wayne T. Ramsey, Professor, Department of Physical Sciences Department

Frank Reiser, Professor Emeritus, Biology Department