Interim dean addresses faculty

By Leilani Nisperos
Staff Writer

In a meeting with the Medical Faculty Assembly and the Association of Physicians of the Los Angeles County Hospital on April 11, Interim Dean of the Medical School Joseph Van Der Meulen outlined the school's plan to deal with the $9 million deficit and answered faculty questions.
Van Der Meulen announced the creation of two committees, the Budget Advisory Committee and the Task Force on Economic Security. The two will deal with issues surrounding the deficit and provide recommendations to the medical school.
"There is a major morale problem, we're aware of this; there's a major legal problem, and we're going to have to face these problems," Van Der Meulen said.
Van Der Meulen said in addition to looking at and making recommendations about next year's budget, the Budget Advisory Committee is also asked to come up with a long-term plan for the next three to five years on how to approach the structural deficit.
"The expenses we're facing relate to decisions made five to six years ago," Van Der Meulen said. Operations and Maintenance expenses that occur have to be addressed in advance, he said, which is why he wants to develop contingency planning, funds set aside for emergencies.
"For example, if we don't fund the depreciation of a building, we don't have the money to replace it," he said.
The Task Force on Economic Security will look for solutions to the budget problems while maintaining academic freedom, one of the components of tenure, Van Der Meulen said.
"The school will guarantee academic freedom, but yearly salary for life is something we cannot do," he said. He said the school is looking for solutions, which might include a three- to five-year rolling contract, a retirement plan, or a guarantee for a certain amount of the contract.
Van Der Meulen said the Task Force will look for solutions that are agreeable for faculty and administration. The recommendations it makes will go to the university before any action is taken, he said.
"We can't make unilateral decisions relating to tenure," he said.
Following his announcement, Van Der Meulen engaged in a question and answer period, where he responded to questions regarding the school's deficit and the leadership of the school's administration.
Van Der Meulen said part of the deficit was one-time expenditures and part was carried over from last year.
He said some of the big ticket items in the deficit included the additional costs of the Norris Cancer Center expansion, due to problems during construction.
There may be further costs because the university is involved in arbitration with the builders, which could result in additional costs for the hospital and the medical school, he said.
Another large expense was the indirect costs for the university. Indirect costs include what the university charges for security, heating and lighting.
Van Der Meulen said he could not specify the amounts carried over from last year and this year's deficit until the numbers were definite, because part is based on estimates of funding the school will receive.
A number of faculty expressed concerns over the quality of leadership at the medical school. Some felt it was inappropriate to cut faculty pay while funding building construction and repair.
"If you feel management has continued to make bad decisions, you have to change management," he said. "If a person continues to make bad decisions, you have to replace them."
Van Der Meulen was asked to comment on the recently implemented Productivity Based Compensation Plan, a new pay system based on evaluations of teaching, administration, research and service. Faculty are paid based upon the amount they do in the different categories.
"The fact is, over time, sometimes productivity does not maintain the same level," he said.
Van Der Meulen said the departments would fine-tune the profiles the faculty members receive so they will not be penalized for not doing something they are not expected to do.
"We're not proposing to abrogate tenure," he said.
When asked if he agreed that the administrators should lead by example, Van Der Meulen said he receives an evaluation from the provost that determines his salary.
One faculty member said the dean should not use the word "collegial" when referring to relations between faculty and administrators, because the word's definition implies equality in decision making and he said he felt there was none at the medical school.
Van Der Meulen said he recognized the lack of collegiality and was offering an opportunity for change.
Van Der Meulen said he would like an open dialogue about the tenure issue because faculty in the clinical departments, some of who are non-tenured, are receiving a cut as well.
To address how the cuts will affect students, Van Der Meulen said a committee is being proposed to take a look at the issue. He said students will have input in the committee.
Van Der Meulen stepped in as interim dean to handle Dean Stephen Ryan's responsibilities while he was away due to an illness. When Dean Ryan was well enough to return, Van Der Meulen was kept to handle the daily responsibilities of the dean and Ryan returned to handle the restructuring of the school.