UTMB SCHOOL OF NURSING POST-ANDERSON FACULTY MEETING

The School of Nursing faculty, the stripes on their backs still smarting from the Provost's tongue lashing last week, had a tense faculty meeting with Dean Pamela Watson yesterday, 5/7/08.  Everyone tried to sit quietly and ignore the proverbial elephant in the room, but they ended up grabbing it by the tail and giving it a good yank.  (Leadership 101: Conflicts have a way of resurfacing until they're truly resolved rather than suppressed.) 

First, the good dean finally revealed her secret plan, the plan faculty had no input with (shared governance? open communication?).  The plan involves 3 major changes:

1. Ph.D. Director Dr. Alice Hill will now report directly to the dean.  She used to report to the ill-fated Dr. Lucke, whose bridge back has effectively been burned. 
2. A new position was created and filled by Dr. Trish Richard: Associate Dean for Baccalaureate Programs.
3. Another new position was created and filled by Dr. Kate Fiandt: Associate Dean for Practice/Graduate Programs.

The two new associate deans tag-teamed an upbeat little talk, saying their goals were open communication, a balanced workload, and faculty promotion and progression.  They said their strategies will be to listen to everyone, mentor folks, manage enrollment (120 students last year to 45 this fall, the Blogmeister hears), emphasize faculty retention (that had better include locking the door) and recruitment. 

The dean asked for questions and was met with utter silence. (There's some of that open communication management has fostered!) The good dean then filled the void by suggesting that the faculty needed time to digest the changes.

Then things really got interesting.

A faculty member acknowledged the dean's efforts and stated that she would like to support her.  She then stated her concern over last week's display by Dr. Anderson and his high-powered entourage.  This faculty member stated that she felt Dr. Anderson was unprofessional and demeaning.  The dean's response? "When people bring things outside the School of Nursing, this is what happens," or words to that effect. 

One of the people who went to Anderson said that she felt that the chain of command had been followed, since they did, in fact, take their concerns to Watson.  The dean demurred on that point and asked how anyone could believe the chain was followed.  The faculty member responded, "We brought our concerns to you, and you did nothing, so we went to the Provost."  Incredibly, the dean said, "I disagree that I was made aware of the concerns--that is your perception."  Readers are invited to click here to see Faculty Assembly Chair Tina Cuellar sounding the alarm months ago. (Of course, this e-mail could just be the Blogmeister's perception.) The SON has also had a facilitator brought in from HR to work on relations between faculty and administration, and when that didn't work, an outside facilitator was eventually brought in.  The faculty has also--twice--sent the dean an "Issues and Concerns" document outlining areas that need improvement in the School of Nursing.  Yep, it's just the faculty's perception that they communicated with the dean.

As that famous line from the movie Cool Hand Luke says best, "What we got here is . . . failure to communicate."  Communication, however, involves a sender and a receiver.  Now just where, gentle reader, did the process break down, with the sender or the receiver? 

Great meeting, Dean Watson!   

Comments

[An interested observer]

Ah, history repeats itself. If one reviews the administrative structure Dean Watson inherited when she joined the School, it is clear that the existing structure was not quite so bad as she would have had folks believe. Two associate dean positions that had been in place, one for practice and another for research, were done away with by Dean Watson early in her reign. Was it because the positions were not needed or was it that Dean Watson wished to eliminate the individuals holding the positions (Dr. Phyllis Waters and Dr. Robin Froman) from administrative rank? Both positions have now been effectively reinstated by Dean Watson, without faculty input. So was it the positions that didn't work for Dean Watson, or was it that the people in the positions then actually spoke their mind and advocated for faculty, thus they were perceived as not working for Dean Watson? Too bad Dean Watson's methods of excision are so transparent. Again, how sad for the School.

[same old, same old]

The "interested observer" notes that Dean Watson's "methods of excision are so transparent." Well, hey, Watson's style never has been microsurgery. She prefers a Freddy Kruger approach, crude and without anesthesia. No wonder faculty are anxious about involuntary surgeries. That is just my perception, of course.

Thanks for your support- An Interested Observer.

It is sad that the Dean seems to be blaming the victums of that ill-fated day the Provost came over.
"You asked for it"? What
kind of comment is that?

How, Dean Watson, is that going to heal anything?

What's interestng about this latest show is that not once did Dr. Watson or her new tag team mention shared governance. She also didn’t say, I’m sorry I didn’t ask for your input before, but I need your help now. This was just her same old smoke and mirrors. I’m not fooled.

lol, to same old same old comments

[Anonymous]

It seems the previous president of UTMB put together a management team that served it's master well. The process of bringing-in a new president didn't really make a difference in the way policies and procedures are handled. Methinks the situation has worsened after the presidential transfer.

I agree with anonymous. It seems that Galveston's old boys network is still in control, and it doesn't really matter who happens to be the current president. Pretty sad.

[Lucy]

In the meeting the other day Dr. Darlene Martin suggested that since all of these blog comments are anonymous that they are not valid. So I will begin to attach a name to mine.
I am unable to see how this is going to help, but will give it a try on her behalf.

[Steven V. Owen]

Right, Lucy, nearly all the posters are anonymous. Why risk recrimination, reprisal, retribution? Four and a half years ago, sick of the r-campaign, I left UTMB. Others who may be constrained from leaving have little to gain by showing their names...except to be insulted by the asinine claim that their postings are not valid!

[Snoopy]

Steve,

You understand what we're going through. Those that speak out in meetings are singled out for 'special treatment.' Just last week the Dean told the faculty we brought the wrath of the Provost down upon us because concerns were brought to him.

[Carole Eldridge]

I feel compelled to point out that BEFORE we took the letter of support for Kathy Lucke to Dr. Anderson, we shared it with Dr. Watson. As soon as I learned of Dr. Lucke's nonrenewal, I arranged to meet with Dr. Watson to express my dismay. Another faculty member and myself met with Dr. Watson and tried to tell her how distressing this event was to the faculty. Dr. Watson said she didn't think we spoke for many of the faculty, and that she thought we would learn that many faculty members would be pleased at Dr. Lucke's departure. This comment was the reason we drafted the letter of support and offered it up for signatures for those who wanted to sign it. When we obtained the 41 signatures (2 were later removed), we realized that we were correct--most of the faculty supported Dr. Lucke. We took this letter of support to Dr. Watson and waited for two weeks for some kind of response before visiting Dr. Anderson. Her only response was to send us little handwritten cards inviting us to come talk to her individually if we had any concerns about the school. Some took her up on that offer, but nothing changed. So, the next step was to see the Provost. Too bad that attempt to get help ended up getting the messengers shot.

[Quaking]

And despite the attempts to be heard the faculty remain without a voice and the retaliation doesn't seem to end. Every utterance is made with great trepidation. And, the new structure seems to be struggling with new responsibilites.

FYI SON Faculty:
If you are thinking of leaving, do not give advance notice. Although you may consider it unprofessional not to give several months notice, several days to one week is recommended. Why? Because you will be "invited" to leave immediately anyway!