Dr. Cole's Response to Grades

February 17, 2006

Dear Local 212 Members:

Last week Local 212 reported that the faculty and staff had sent Dr. Cole a clear message: “Your ‘D' average indicates your performance is unacceptable and requires dramatic improvement.” We noted that the AQIP survey sent a similar message. We also offered to meet with Dr. Cole to discuss the survey report card.

Instead of talking with us or making an effort to change for the better, Dr. Cole has decided to charge Local 212 $300 for the use of rooms on four campuses!

Since this is the first time the college has charged us for a room, one can only conclude that if Dr. Cole doesn't like the content of something being said on “his” campus, he'll try to suppress it by making the offenders pay!

Does anyone imagine he would have charged us for the room if the Report Card had resulted in an “A” or “B” average?

Of course Local 212 has the right to MATC rooms without charge. The contract clearly states on page 78, “Rooms may be made available to the union on a “space available” basis…” There is also over four decades of past practice of the college not charging for our use of rooms.

Since this billing came just four work days after the February 8 event, it is clear retaliation for members of 212 using their free speech to state how they feel about the direction of the college. If the administration persists, it will also represent an unfair labor practice.

In presenting Dr. Cole's Report Card to the college community and the media, Local 212 leadership took pains to say that we hoped Dr. Cole would indeed change his approach for the betterment of the college.  In fact, we laid out a clear program for improvement: 

• COMMIT TO MISSION AS VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL COLLEGE
• STRESS QUALITY EDUCATION RATHER THAN P.R.
• RESPECT, LISTEN TO AND ACT ON INPUT FROM PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS
• STOP MANIPULATING AND SABOTAGING HIRING COMMITTEES

Instead of trying to charge the messenger and ignore the message, Dr. Cole should listen closely to the views of the professional educators who have made MATC what it is.

Sincerely,

Michael Rosen
Charlie Dee
Frank Shanksy
Milwaukee Area Technical College