Students And Teachers Protest Closure Of English Language Program At UC Berkeley Extension

Why Is Extension Closing the
English Language Program?
Is it because, even though we are not protected by a union, we have consistently asserted our rights, under State law and University policy, to be treated with respect??
Is it because we have filed more than 12 grievances, and initiated a lawsuit with the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB), alleging unfair labor practices, during the past year? (Just before the Christmas holidays, we were assured that our program would continue. We filed the PERB charge on Christmas Eve; in January, management announced the closing.)
Is it because we are the only full-time, career faculty in Extension and receive full University benefits? Could they be intending to re-open a school in a couple of years with part-timers, hired at lower wages, and with no benefits? This is common practice in the corporate world.
Or will they outsource the English language training to a much cheaper local school?

And, Last But Not Least:
Some Questions About the Closure
With Reference to the Procedures Detailed in
Extension's Strategic Plan and
UC Berkeley's Personnel Policies...
Extension's Strategic Plan includes "Criteria of Berkeley Quality/Berkeley Appropriate," and states: "Programming units evaluated each certificate program and major program type for fit..." Who are the members of these "programming units?" How did they perform their evaluation? Why did none of them visit ELP or interview the staff, administrators and teachers most knowledgeable about the program?
Why did no one from senior management visit ELP in person during the year in which the program was supposedly being evaluated?
The overarching goal of the Strategic Plan is to align Extension more closely with Campus. If this is so, why wasn't the Academic Senate Committee that oversees Extension (UEXT) consulted prior to the announcement that the English Language Program was to be closed?
The Strategic Plan indicates that, if a program receives a low score in the "BQ/BA" screening process, the option exists to "modify the program to mitigate the deficiencies." Despite the willingness of the ELP faculty, expressed over a period of years, to work with management to meet our shared goals, why were NONE of our suggestions acted upon?
The Strategic Plan further states: "Exceptions can be made for programs that represent a partnership with campus; for example, a UC Berkeley staff development program focused on basic skills." Don't the programs mentioned above (language support and instruction to visiting scholars and staff) constitute EXACTLY this sort of partnership?
The University's HR website declares: "It is the policy of the University...to consider staffing reductions only after other creative solutions have been considered." What were those creative solutions that were considered? Why was the experience and goodwill of the faculty not enlisted in this process?

http://www.kichu.com/elp/closure.html

See also
http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,82~1726~1998228,00.html
http://www.berkeley.edu/news/berkeleyan/2004/02/04_ext.shtml
http://www.unex.berkeley.edu/elp/
http://www.berkeleydaily.org/text/article.cfm?issue=03-05-04&storyID=18406