From - Wed Nov 05 16:54:50 1997

From: Warren Kessler <warren_kessler@csufresno.edu>

Subject: Re: SIP - CETI Meeting - November 4, 1997

Ben,

Thanks for sharing this. I have passed it on to our statewide people.

Unfortunately Marshall Ferguson and others met with our leaders last Saturday and were frankly quite vague and inarticulate on a range of key issues.

If CFA is to get to a point where we can support some version of this concept, we need a lot more specificity and negotiated assurances of faculty working condition rights. The additional arguments of Academic Senates re. educational products and the quality of education are also of significance to us.

Our chapter certainly wants to encourage the pursuit of alternative sources of funding for this infrastructure work. Specifically PERS, STRS and union pension funds should be explored as potential sources of funding.

It is essential in our view that the source of funding be separated from vendors of our equipment and services. Moreover, if funding is not obtained from sources that use software and could use distance learning, we would not have to be involved with them in any way in those enterprises. The potential risk to academic integrity and faculty jobs would be substantially diminished.

Best regards,

Warren