• LIU Brooklyn Faculty Lock Out

    From Popping mad@21:1/5 to All on Sun Sep 11 06:18:58 2016
    LIU Graduate School and Faculty Lock Out
    September 8 · Public
    79 Reads
    September 8th, 2016

    Linette Williams
    Assistant Dean
    Public Administration and Information Sciences
    Long Island University
    1 University Plaza (Dekalb Ave and Flatbush Ave)
    Brooklyn, NY
    718-488-1130


    Dear Linette

    Last night, on the first night of classes, I met our new professor,
    Kiichi Takeuchi, for the advanced topic of Parallel Programming, which is described in the Graduate School bulletin as follows:


    A study of parallel random access machine (PRAM)
    model, as well as processor organizations and
    parallel architectures. Design, analysis and
    implementation of parallel algorithms are studied.
    Case studies of parallel algorithms in various
    problem domains are examined. An introduction
    is made to fault tolerant computing. Students are
    required to do assignments using a parallel
    extension of the C language such as C*, nCUBE C
    or C-LINDA.
    The pre-requisites of CS 631 and CS 641 are
    required.
    Credits: 3


    This is a standard advanced topic on Computer Sciences and I was very
    excited to take this class as it would open whole new paths of expertise
    and learning for myself. Mr Takeuchi, however, started teaching a
    completely different course, on distributive programming with a python
    model in a “web browser”, which is completely unrelated to parallel algorithms and PRAM. It is related to web programming, such as might be
    rolled out in a typical 6 month technical school. He has never taken a
    class on Parallel Programming, and he has never done any systems analysis
    of work with parallel programming and he is not completely familiar with
    the concept or topic. So he pivoted to a different subject and is
    teaching it at the level of an associates degree canidate.

    Please fix this.

    As you know, I’m in the last stages of my masters degree program. I was originally recruited by you and my personal faith in you drew me into the school when at that point, I had already made plans for other academic pursuits. This gentleman, who graduated LIU with a masters degree, on
    further discussion after class, is also assigned to the Software
    Development Project course CS691. That class is described in the
    bulletin as follows:

    CS 691 Software Development Project
    The development of a large software systems project
    based on a current analysis and design paradigm
    resulting in a valid and verified software system.
    The application domain and the course syllabus are
    made available in the preceding semester. The
    completion of the degree core requirements is
    required.
    Pre-requisites of CS 631, CS 633, CS 643, CS 645,
    CS649 and CS 666 are required.


    He has already told me that he has no intention of teaching this class as
    a graduate level either, and is intending to break it up to smaller
    projects, much of which will be based on specialized commercial tools
    d’jour, for mobile phone applications. That would be the description for
    the type of into to programming class that Dr Ghriger teaches for first
    year students, building quick and dirty business applications for the
    iphone. That is not Graduate School level work either.

    Furthermore, he said to me that my expectations are too high and that
    I’m in the wrong school, and I should have gone to PolyTech, because this school doesn’t teach this kind of material, despite the fact that this material is plain as daylight described as such in the LIU Graduate
    School bulletin, a copy of which I download this morning and can provide
    for you, if you need it.

    I find this last part particularly distressing. I’ve heard variations of this even before the current lock out and faculty dispute. I’ve had to
    lobby hard, and work with staff to raise expectations of the faculty and
    the students. Getting the Parallel Programming class back on the
    schedule was part of the outcome, and two years of relationship building
    and collegiate development among students and staff has been kicked out
    the door just as the fruits of my academic career is finishing up.
    Sending us an unqualified lecturer on Graduate School topic and education
    is personally hurtful and is ruining my investment in this University,
    and I remind you that I have been associated with this school going back
    to 1986. Nobody here is asking the school to rise to the level of MIT or Stanford. All that we are asking for is to achieve the standards of its
    own bulletin and accreditation.

    The most distressing part of this current lock out is that neither the
    Faculty or the Administration has shown any consideration or concern
    about the students. The Administration has locked out the faculty
    supposedly to impose order, prevent disruption and facilitate normalcy
    for the students. This is a canard, and only the veneer of normalcy
    has been achieved while the students have been made to suffer. And the students are powerless to take any action on their own behalf. The
    faculty on the other hand claim the issues they rejected the most recent proposals for are of critical import. If so, then why is it that when I
    walked onto the campus, and there was not even a picket line? I question
    the sincerity of everyone involved at this point, but this is not my
    problem. My problem is that the department has been currently gutted of qualified faculty, and that the standards has been tossed out the window, putting my education at risk.


    Sincerely

    Ruben Safir
    1580 East 19th Street
    Brooklyn, NY 11230
    1-718-715-1771

    CC: Paul Thompson at NY State Department of Education, Kimberly Cline,
    Amy Harmon NY Times, Liz Robbins NY Times, Senator Velmanette Montgomery,
    MSCHE

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