Excerpt from WDTN
There is confusion and concern from some Wright State faculty members as they try to grapple with missed class time, inadequate assignments from replacement teachers, and in many cases, still-hurt feelings.
Most students are thrilled to get back to normal, but it could be a more challenging road for returning faculty.
“There's a certain level of chaos and we want the students to get the full instruction. The administration is still not cooperating with that," says Dr. Noeleen McIlvenna, AAUP-WSU Contract Administration Officer.
Striking faculty are back, but now have the daunting task of how to address all the work that was missed while they were gone.
"It seems to be different from department to department, and even faculty member to faculty member," McIlvenna says.
There is some concern that there is not one standard in terms of how to incorporate a full semester into a shortened calendar, and how to handle assignments or grades that were given out by replacement instructors.
"We're not sure that any of that work done was assigned by a qualified person, or that it had any relevance to the class they were supposed to be teaching. So because there’s so little uniformity it's very hard to give an answer to that," says McIlvenna.
In a previous statement, the university said: "As previously communicated, the university will accept all grades and work performed by students during the strike."
But another major issue still to be resolved is any lingering animosity after a lengthy and bitter strike.
"Yes there's hard feelings. The faculty gave up a lot, a lot of income, a lot of future income, and we didn't feel that our expertise was treated with respect," says McIlvenna.
And so, it appears hard work remains before things return to normal.
"The healing has yet to start. Most of us have not even met the administration, we've run back to our classrooms, we've met our students, and we're trying to get that fixed."
Dr. McIlvenna says she is scheduled to meet with the Associate Provost to discuss some of the issues that still need to be resolved and that he agreed everyone wants a resolution.
