Last year, when the gen ed committee proposed the new requirements in the
"green book," I was a member of that committee.  While, like many other
faculty, I had some reservations about that document, I believed very
strongly that it was far superior to the hodgepodge requirements we had up
until then.  As you will recall, there were loud and boisterous arguments
about it, but then the full faculty voted to approve.  One of the most
ardent and vocal critics of the "green book" happened to be my department
head.  That's okay, I thought, we can have professional disagreements with
our bosses, we have academic freedom, and I went about my business working
on the committee. I was comfortable voting my conscience and
against the wishes of my dept. head, who I have come to believe was at
least
initially quite angry with my actions.

Next year with the new EDO procedures, I wonder just how many of us will
be comfortable voting our consciences if it goes against what our dept.
heads may believe.  With the awesome power given to heads by the new 2
strikes and you're out EDO tenure termination triggering device, my guess
is that most of us will fall in lock-step with whatever the head wants.
This is the true threat to academic freedom in the new performance review
plan.  To think there are no vindictive dept. heads at UTC, or that there
will not be any in the future is naive beyond belief.

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