At last night's Undergraduate Student Government meeting, USG decided to stay neutral on the issue of faculty collective bargaining.
Debate heated up between two proposed resolutions, one to stay neutral on the issue, while the other would be in favor of the best interests for the faculty.
Senator At-Large Andrew Fortlage, who proposed the resolution in support of the faculty, would eventually walk out of the room because he felt blind-sided.
"They had every right to do that [propose a separate resolution]," he said after the meeting. "I just thought it was disrespectful."
Fortlage's resolution, co-authored by Off-Campus Senator Nathan Whitman, stated USG that a union will be beneficial and USG is in "support of a faculty union that a majority of faculty vote in favor of."
Off-Campus Senator Timothy Gribble made the motion for a substitution, which he hoped would replace Fortlage's.
Gribble's resolution stated USG will carefully watch the events to transpire over the next couple weeks, stay neutral in the decision, and then work with faculty if a union were to form.
"I do agree a lot with what Andrew had to say, but this is out of hand," Gribble said, saying his resolution plays a middle hand with the issue.
Fortlage said he thinks it is funny USG wants to stay neutral when they take stands on other issues. Fortlage added he thought making a resolution to stay neutral was "pointless."
Debate over the resolutions ensued which caused Arts & Science Senator Danielle McConnell to side with Fortlage's resolution.
"I think it'd be a shame if we didn't stand behind the faculty," she said. Adding USG needs to have a backbone.
Academic Affairs Committee Chair Molly Albertson disagreed.
"[This is] not about voting in favor of the faculty or the administration; it's about voting for the students," Albertson said. "We do not need to take a side on a faculty issue. It hinders us as a student organization."
USG President Sundeep Mutgi said taking sides in the situation would be making enemies USG didn't have to make.
"Let's be clear here, the faculty does want a union, the administration doesn't," Mutgi said, adding that it does indeed create enemies when sides are taken.
With a roll call vote, 18 members voted to keep Gribble's substitute resolution over Fortlage's, causing Fortlage to leave the room. Fortlage would eventually e-mail Gribble saying he respected what Gribble did but wished he had a heads-up.
After Fortlage's exit, Mutgi gave the analogy that suggested the process of the vote and the unionization is like giving the faculty a gun.
Vice President Kevin Basch broke his silence right before the resolution was tabled.
"I kept quiet tonight for a number of reasons," he said. "We are preemptively taking sides on an issue we are not involved with. It's like a mother and a father getting a divorce and both want their kids on their sides."
Also presented at the meeting was a resolution presented by Diversity Affairs Senator Ashley Hannah, which called for a set absentee policy with concern for the students involved in sports and extracurriculars, as well as students facing family emergencies.
This resolution was also tabled for next week.
Debate heated up between two proposed resolutions, one to stay neutral on the issue, while the other would be in favor of the best interests for the faculty.
Senator At-Large Andrew Fortlage, who proposed the resolution in support of the faculty, would eventually walk out of the room because he felt blind-sided.
"They had every right to do that [propose a separate resolution]," he said after the meeting. "I just thought it was disrespectful."
Fortlage's resolution, co-authored by Off-Campus Senator Nathan Whitman, stated USG that a union will be beneficial and USG is in "support of a faculty union that a majority of faculty vote in favor of."
Off-Campus Senator Timothy Gribble made the motion for a substitution, which he hoped would replace Fortlage's.
Gribble's resolution stated USG will carefully watch the events to transpire over the next couple weeks, stay neutral in the decision, and then work with faculty if a union were to form.
"I do agree a lot with what Andrew had to say, but this is out of hand," Gribble said, saying his resolution plays a middle hand with the issue.
Fortlage said he thinks it is funny USG wants to stay neutral when they take stands on other issues. Fortlage added he thought making a resolution to stay neutral was "pointless."
Debate over the resolutions ensued which caused Arts & Science Senator Danielle McConnell to side with Fortlage's resolution.
"I think it'd be a shame if we didn't stand behind the faculty," she said. Adding USG needs to have a backbone.
Academic Affairs Committee Chair Molly Albertson disagreed.
"[This is] not about voting in favor of the faculty or the administration; it's about voting for the students," Albertson said. "We do not need to take a side on a faculty issue. It hinders us as a student organization."
USG President Sundeep Mutgi said taking sides in the situation would be making enemies USG didn't have to make.
"Let's be clear here, the faculty does want a union, the administration doesn't," Mutgi said, adding that it does indeed create enemies when sides are taken.
With a roll call vote, 18 members voted to keep Gribble's substitute resolution over Fortlage's, causing Fortlage to leave the room. Fortlage would eventually e-mail Gribble saying he respected what Gribble did but wished he had a heads-up.
After Fortlage's exit, Mutgi gave the analogy that suggested the process of the vote and the unionization is like giving the faculty a gun.
Vice President Kevin Basch broke his silence right before the resolution was tabled.
"I kept quiet tonight for a number of reasons," he said. "We are preemptively taking sides on an issue we are not involved with. It's like a mother and a father getting a divorce and both want their kids on their sides."
Also presented at the meeting was a resolution presented by Diversity Affairs Senator Ashley Hannah, which called for a set absentee policy with concern for the students involved in sports and extracurriculars, as well as students facing family emergencies.
This resolution was also tabled for next week.
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I really wish I had been there at this debate to throw out a few key points.
The biggest one is that the BGSU administration often will use excuses about other institutions to cover their butts. Saying "it didn't work out so well for other schools when they tried it" is often heard, as well as "other schools have already done this, so we need to do it too." It doesn't make sense to openly create neutrality in a very decisive issue that WILL affect students. I can guarantee that if a faculty union is organized, students will feel an impact. USG was voted in place to make decisions and to take stands for the student body.
"Giving the faculty a gun." Yes, because so many faculty have their own interests higher than that of students; unless they've already left for a better paying position at a different institution, if not a different state, or one that allows them to do much more research or have lower-cost fringe benefits. The majority of the faculty who have remained at BGSU are loyal to teaching young minds who are paying to learn new material. Let's not forget, student organizations must have a faculty advisor, and many organizations struggle from year to year to find a faculty member who can afford to do so much at once. Let's give the good ones a reason to stay at BGSU.
If it's all done in the right way, USG could have been a driving force in organizing the faculty union, shaping it to include the students' needs and wants. If this resolution of neutrality passes, then students will have no input on how it will work in the future. The US thought that neutrality wouldn't affect them in 1939, and it took two years to realize that they would have to choose a side. Mark my words, if USG does not get involved with the faculty unionization process to provide some input and the faculty does vote to unionize, then students will feel the burden of this decision in less than two years.
Also, if students want to truly be involved, maybe including the dates, times, and locations for USG Election Info Sessions would be helpful. These are intended to be for those students who are interested in pursuing the option of running for a USG position. All of the dates, times, and locations, may be found here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=293140872133&index=1