Volume 28, No. 9             Editor: Mark Langer               December, 1997



                             SMOKE AND MIRRORS



Academic staff are aware of management's most recent public relations fiasco when President Van Loon admitted that data

used by SAPC/ARC was inaccurate.  The $2,178,835 direct cost of SLLCLS was overestimated by $500,000.  Management

remained in ignorance of this until CUASA brought it to their attention at a meeting on 27 November.  When Vice-President

(Finance) Duncan Watt suggested that this error didn't matter, we asked him if Senate Academic Planning Committee was

going to make a recommendation to close programs based on information that was known to be false.  There was dead

silence in the room.  Eventually, President Van Loon replied, "I don't have an answer for that."  The meeting ended

moments later.



Richard Van Loon's answer is now known.  The Senate meeting has been delayed for a week while management returns

to the books.  



It is difficult to underestimate the damage that has been inflicted on the university by management.  As Dean Allan Maslove

acknowledged on 28 November, "At this point it appears to me that we have a worst case scenario to deal with...".



CUASA met management again on the morning of 28 November.  We pointed out that we had not received any information

regarding revenue and cost allocation by department.  Neither did we receive any data used in determining those figures. 

We  were only able to discover the error made in computing the figures for SLLCLS through a leak of confidential

information.  We requested time for a complete and open review of all relevant data, and pointed out other questionable

figures in their estimates. 



Management offered to provide CUASA with  revised revenue and cost allocation figures on Tuesday Dec.2, but would

only allow a 24 hr. period for comment.  These figures on their own are virtually useless without access to the supporting

data, as their validity cannot be either determined or challenged.  As yet, management has not committed to CUASA's

scrutiny  of supporting data.



President Van Loon explained that management's decision to proceed quickly with program redundancy was motivated by

a desire to maintain confidentiality, reduce the period of stress that would be undergone by people affected by layoffs, and

reduce the period of controversy and upheaval in the university.  CUASA responded that this policy had resulted in an error

that is causing serious damage to the university's reputation.  In a review leading to possible closure of programs and

layoffs, it is imperative that people see the process as  transparent and fair.  A lack of confidence and dissent has been

created through the current process which bypassed open consultation with constituent groups at Carleton.



CUASA ended the meeting by reiterating its request to management that:

- all members of the university have a full and detailed breakdown of all financial figures used in SAPC's presentation to

Senate and the data used in determining these figures.

- that this data be presented a month before the Senate meeting held to discuss the matter of program redundancy.

-that Senate refer the matter to all faculty boards for comment.

     We have not heard a response from management to these requests.