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Sydney Umstead

There will not be a 4/4 (yet), and the AAUP’s place in the matter

By: Sydney Umstead, News Editor


Canisius professors were informed that they will no longer have to teach a 4/4 course load this coming spring semester.


The decision not to have faculty teach a 4/4 came two weeks ago, directly after The Griffin’s conversation with President Steve Stoute. The Griffin reported that “The lunch ended at around 3:30 after Stoute took three more questions despite some of the deans arriving for a meeting with them.” This meeting with the deans seems to have been regarding the 4/4 workload, as an email was sent out following those events and gave professors one day to modify their planned courses for the spring. 


As reported in The Griffin’s conversation with Stoute, he stated, “The teaching load is 24 undergraduate credit hours, so it doesn't even say four classes. It says, verbatim, ‘24 undergraduate credit hours’ which equates to four classes per semester.” In regard to the alleged lack of an increase in pay for an increased teaching load and The Griffin mentioning other areas of the handbook that are not being met, Stoute stated that he was aware and has read the handbook “cover to cover.” 


This information comes a few weeks after reprints of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP)’s letter to the Board of Trustees were anonymously placed around campus, as well as The Griffin’s coverage of that topic in the Oct. 4 edition. 


Stoute addressed the AAUP stating, “The AAUP has no formal place in our governance process, nowhere in the Faculty Handbook does it point to the AAUP.” However, the AAUP stated, “The college’s faculty handbook expressly incorporated language from the AAUP’s 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure concerning tenure and financial exigency.” The Faculty Handbook acquired by The Griffin mentions the AAUP in seven different places. In the first occurrence, with regard to tenure and financial exigency, the handbook states, “Should the President decide not to reappoint a faculty member, this decision will be made known to the faculty member according to the timetable which the Board of Trustees of Canisius College adopted as its own from the 1970 Interpretive Comments of the AAUP which may be found in this Handbook at the end of Chapter 5.” 


The 1970 AAUP Interpretive Comments are in response to the 1940’s statement by the association. 


In Chapter 5 of the faculty handbook, the document explains, “The Board of Trustees of Canisius College has accepted and endorsed as its own the 1940 Statement of Principles and Interpretive Comments (including the 1970 Interpretive Comments) published by the AAUP and AAC and attached at the end of this chapter.” Furthermore, “In taking this action the Board reserves to itself the interpretation and application of this document.” 


It is unclear when the decision to adjust the tentative 4/4 change was made. The Griffin reached out to Stoute’s press office and asked for a statement or interview on this matter, and was told that the reports were correct, professors would not have to teach a 4/4 schedule.

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