May professors use university e-mail accounts and listservs to complain about inept administrators?

Question

... and about disparity in salaries between administrators and ordinary faculty members?

What about an e-mail campaign to oust a president, dean, or another high-level university official responsible for decisions that adversely affect faculty or an identifiable category of university employees, such as clerical staff, or members of a particular college or department? Assuming such grievances and related advocacy fall under the umbrella of academic freedom and shared governance, how do faculty members or other emplyees who join such an effort protect themselves against retaliation in the absence of anonymity?

Are there any cases from which lessons can be learned?

Answer 1

While I do not have a good answer to your question, I strongly suggest that you consult with the AAUP.

http://www.aaup.org

In the meantime, in order to protect yourself fully, I suggest that you communicate with like-minded people using a non-university listserv (Yahoo groups, perhaps?).

One final note: Administrators' salaries are universally higher than faculty salaries. Lately, in many higher education publications, there have been reports on the disparities between presidential and faculty salaries. The AAUP's Committee on the Economic Status of the Profession issues an annual report on this and other issues.

http://www.aaup.org/surveys/05z/z05tab.htm

Best wishes to you.

Answer 2

Well, do you like your job. If not...go right ahead!