May 9, 2016
Dear Chair Gardyn and members of the Board,
In advance of the Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the NCC AAUP Advocacy Chapter urges you to hear the comments of members of the NCC community before going into executive session. It’s’ a simple request supported by simple logic. Sound governance in a democratic institution such as ours requires an airing of diverse viewpoints before deliberations proceed. Reversing this order, deliberating and deciding before the community weighs in, defeats the democratic process and leaves the community feeling excluded and without a voice in matters in which we have a huge stake. Our timely participation is especially vital right now: the college is in trouble. The Middle States Report was a report card filled with F’s. And it wasn’t the faculty and staff who were not passing. So, given the democratic logic of the proceedings, given the urgency of this moment in NCC’s history, and given the credibility conferred on the faculty and staff by Middle States, we feel we have a strong case for being heard early and openly. Extending a generous offer to the College community of time to speak at an amenable hour, at the busiest time of the semester for faculty and staff, at a time of broken dialogue among various stakeholders, will be the first step towards restoring a spirit of shared governance and understanding at Nassau Community College.
Sincerely,
Kimberley Reiser, Ph.D., President, NCC AAUP
NCC AAUP Advocacy Chapter 