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ACADEMIC SENATE CHAIR

Shared Governance Builds Strong Community

I first came to Chico in 1975. I came from San Francisco in search of a small town in which I could raise children and feel a sense of belonging and community. I found what I was seeking, and have come to love Chico. I do not miss the anonymity of big city life. I enjoy being able to chat with the clerks in the markets and know people almost everywhere I go in town. My neighbors call to tell me when I forget to close my garage door, or show up to share pictures of their grandchildren, which makes them ready victims for pictures of my own grandchild.

The same sense of community that drew me to Chico also pervades the CSU, Chico campus. As senate chair, I am beginning to appreciate how deeply this sense of community colors our perspectives of campus decision making. As I have gained insight into the workings of other CSU campuses via other senate chairs and statewide senators, I have discovered the remarkable degree of collegial, shared governance we appreciate at Chico. Recently, for example, a survey of all CSU campuses revealed that Chico is among the few campuses at which the senate chair serves on the President's Cabinet, and the president and vice presidents serve on the Academic Senate's Executive Committee. As we face political and economic upheaval in California, I am thankful to be a part of a university campus that is a community.

Despite the budget cuts that have occurred, and the additional cuts that are promised, we have fared relatively well compared to other campuses. Last year, faculty, staff, and administration collaborated to forge a plan to deal with the 2003-2004 cuts. The plan reflected input at all levels of the campus community. Teaching students was perceived as the university's primary mission, and teaching was given the highest priority. Consequently, the plan called for cuts in teaching to be held to a much lower level than cuts to other university services. The planned cut for teaching was exactly half the level of other cuts.

Thus far, we have adhered closely to this plan. The results have been painful, but fewer students have been impacted than might have been with other budget reduction plans.

It is important for us to remember how well the shared decision-making process has served us as we face the onerous or catastrophic changes that will face us during the 2004-2005 academic year. When we are threatened by crises, we may be tempted to dispense with more democratic modes of decision making, and we may be tempted to believe that more authoritarian solutions offer greater efficiency. We cannot afford to forget how valuable our strong sense of community is, and how important it is to retain the strong tradition of shared governance. Let us be both vigilant and involved.

We know that 2004-2005 will bring more budget cuts. The best we can hope for is a $2.7 million cut at CSU, Chico. This represents an increase in unfunded costs rather than a "real" cut. It could be much worse, but the cuts will be painful. We must prepare for an uncertain future as a strong and united community with common values and mutual respect. We can do better than merely survive.

Len Fisk, chair, Academic Senate