BMCC administration claims they are ineffectual due to the faculty contract.
How can that be? The contract is called a Collective Bargaining Agreement because it was created collectively by members of the faculty and the administration to preserve the working relationship for the betterment of BMCC. It is unrealistic for Mark Browning to say he disagrees with the contract when he signed it just this past January.
Furthermore, the contract is not new. In its current form, this agreement has been the work of decades of negotiations with many administrators. In those many years, it was never blamed repeatedly for the lapses of administration or circumstance. But rather relied upon, as it serves to maintain a safe work environment and a series of checks and balances to prevent a group-think dynamic where bad decisions can get all the way to the "ok let's do it" phase before being exposed to healthy criticism. Without collective oversight, these decisions would have already been executed before the community had a chance to protect its interests. These decisions have far-reaching consequences for our community, they should not be made behind closed doors by a small group of people who obviously don't understand the full ramifications.
Upon hearing of the proposed cuts, the BMFA reached out to the administration with an information request and inquired about meeting times. Mark Browning cited contract policy that gave him 10 days to deliver these public records and that his secretary would be in touch regarding a meeting. Neither have yet been delivered. This information is crucial to the Faculty Association’s ability to provide relevant and good faith alternatives to the proposed cuts.
Are these intentional actions a method to antagonize the union or proof of their inexperience and ineptitude? If the admin can not summon the skill to run the college, nor the vision to innovate without devastating consequences, perhaps they should be fired and replaced by those who can. Complaining about real-world constraints like serving the students, treating faculty loyally, and managing the budget responsibly, is evidence of inadequacy.
If the administration thinks they can offer all the same classes, then they are even more incompetent than we gave them credit for. Would you believe someone who told you that they were closing all but one theater screen, yet going to still offer 20 movies per day? Or a company that lays off half their taxi drivers and still assures they will meet demand and provide the same low wait times? What about a bakery that fires its pastry chef, yet claims they will still offer the same quality desserts?
