Former Faculty Want More Involvement In UNC

Story updated September 4, 2014, 12:39 p.m.

Some former UNC faculty members want to be more involved with the University, and soon they may have just such an opportunity.

Professor Emeritus Andrew Dobelstein is a member of the Retired Faculty Association, which is hopeful in creating the UNC Academy of Emeriti Scholars.

But first, he says, it’s important to know where everyone stands.

“We said, ‘well we don’t know what…we have absolutely no idea about what retired faculty as a group or as many of the individuals are even thinking about’,” Dobelstein says.

The retired faculty’s most notable recent public expression came in April when 30 former professors signed a letter written in the News and Observer conveying concern that the University has been quiet about the lengthy academic improprieties.

STORY: Some Concerned Ahead Of UNC Investigation Release

Currently, UNC is awaiting the report on a review Washington, D.C.-based attorney Kenneth Wainstein is conducting. That review is searching for any academic improprieties that reach further than what took place in the African and Afro-American Studies department between 1997 and 2011, when department chair Julius Nyang’oro resigned as the department head. He was forced into an early retirement a year later.

STORY: Fraud Charge Against Nyang’oro Dropped

STORY: Wainstein: ‘Don’t Have Findings Yet’

Dobelstein says the relationship between the University and its former faculty has been poor in the past.

“Many retired faculty members have felt that they’ve been just, sort of, sent on their way without even a gold watch,” Dobelstein says. “This has, over the years, left some rather hard feelings with individual retired faculty and the University.”

However, he says efforts have been made to right the ship.

“Ron Strauss was designated to provide some connection between the University and retired faculty members,” Dobelstein says. “Ron has done, really, a very good job at trying to encourage the development of the Retired Faculty Association and its ability to provide services to retired faculty.”

Strauss has many titles, among which is Executive Vice Provost. He was appointed to assist with retired faculty by former chancellor Holden Thorp.

Dobelstein says the Faculty Council at Carolina recently opened up two spots so that retired faculty can be a part of the decision making. Currently, Jonathan Howes is filling one of the retired faculty spots and will serve until 2015. There is not a second retired faculty member listed on the council.

Correction: Dobelstein is the second retired faculty member who sits on the Faculty Council. He is serving until 2017.

A survey was recently conducted of the retired faculty, facilitated by UNC, in order to get a baseline of what the former professors want to have access to at the University. Dobelstein says now that information can be expanded upon this month at a gathering.

“The first part of this meeting would be a kind of report back to the retired faculty what this survey showed in regard to faculty’s relationship with the University,” Dobelstein says. “The second part will be specific discussions about the initiative for the retired faculty where we will actually begin to sign up retired faculty members for participation.”

The meeting is being held at the Friday Center for Continuing Education Tuesday, September 16 from 12:00 noon to 3:00 p.m. Strauss as well as Faculty Chair Bruce Cairns are scheduled to attend. Dobelstein says its designed as an open meeting in order to give anyone who is interested the chance to express their concerns as well as their visions for moving forward.

STORY: Cairns: Academic Scandal: ‘A Shared Culpability’

Former Faculty Want More Involvement In UNC

On Air Now: 97.9 FM