September 3, 2009
Liberal arts professors recognized by AAUP Tiffany Brown ,Slafi
University of Central Oklahoma professors received awards from the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The UCO chapter of AAUP recognized Dr. Gladys Lewis, Dr. Siegfried Heit and Dr. Rosa Bird. Dr. Bird, professor of Modern Languages, won the Distinguished Scholar Award. Dr. Lewis, professor of English, won the Distinguished Teaching Award and Dr. Heit, professor of Humanities, won the Distinguished Service to the AAUP Award. The AAUP is an international organization that works to protect the rights of members in the higher education profession. It also recognizes scholars who contribute to the higher education profession. This includes contingent and tenured faculty, part and full-time professors, academic professionals, graduate students, librarians and non-union members as well as union mem-
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bers. Heit, who finished his third year as UCO's AAUP president in June 2009, said he became involved in AAUP when a colleague suggested that he join. He has been involved with AAUP since 1998. Heit was also an executive board member before becoming president. One of the good about AAUP is it encompasses all disciplines, Heit said. It doesn't matter whether you are a Criminal Justice professor, an English professor or a Biology Professor. "It's like an umbrella organization," Heit said. Heit said one important contribution he made to AAUP involved "keeping it organized, keeping it focused and maintaining an active dialogue with the administration." UCO's AAUP chapter has a good working relationship between UCO President W. Roger Webb and Provost William J. Radke, he said. Communication is one of the best tools to making the job satisfactory between
faculty and administration, Heit said. "We have to communicate," Heit said. "Keeping the channels of communication open between administration, the president, the provost, the deans and faculty is important." Heit said during his term as president the chapter was a strong advocate of free parking for faculty and staff. UCO's AAUP members dedicate extra time to participate in the organization in addition to being university professors. "We don't receive any extra remuneration for the work we do on behalf of AAUP," Heit said. "We are just active and try to help our colleagues." In 2007, Heit was the first UCO professor to be nominated as one of the two official candidates for the office of First VicePresident of the national AAUP organization. "I felt is an honor to be considered," Heit said. He had to withdrawal his nomination due to his obligations to the university and his health problems. In spite of this, Heit remains active in the organization. He attends con-
Photos by Byron Koontz
Dr. Siegfried Heit, professor of humanities, and Dr. Gladys Lewis, professor of English, were two of three UCO professors honored by the AAUP. Dr. Rosa Bird, professor of modern languages, was also honored.
ventions and events sponsored by AAUP and he has served on grievance committees. "I'm a firm believer that as a professional, you should be involved in a professional organization," Heit said. Lewis has been a professor at UCO for 19 years. Part of what makes the award
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special is faculty does not have to be an active member in the organization to receive the award. "To receive a reward of this nature," Lewis said. "It's very affirming of what I do everyday." "I enjoy the classroom," she said. Lewis said she enjoyed working with her colleagues
in the Liberal Arts department. She spoke about all the things she liked about UCO. "I love teaching students;" "We have a supportive administration" and "We have a beautiful campus," Lewis said. UCO is "just a good place to work," she said.
A SHIFT1Nc OF POWER
Commentary on the Recent Japanese Election Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami Editorial (*ontributor
By any account it was a historic election that took place in Japan with the riling Liberal Democratic Party suffering one of its biggest drubbings since its inception in the political landscape of Japanese politics since the 1950s. The coalition led by the Democratic Party under the leadership of Yukio Hatoyama literally pounded the riling party in what has been described as a landslide verdict that Japan has not seen in recent times. The electoral outcome in Japan has been watched closely only for the reason that it is expected to have profound ramifications for not only the domestic shape of policies and politics that are to follow but also in the implications in the realm of external relations especially as it pertains to the United States and the Asia Pacific.But the immediate attention the world over especially in Washington and in capitals of Asia is if there is going to be any perceptible change in Japanese foreign There has always been the temptation to see any election in a major country as something that is going to "profoundly" affect foreign policy as if to mean that voters have given a mandate only for change in the country's relations with the outside world. To a very large extent,elections are rarely pegged to foreign policy issues however important and pressing it may be. For example even in the United States while issues of foreign policy have seemed to dominate at certain periods of the campaign period, American voters have by and large stick to local bread-and-butter issues. That being the case would it matter in Japan and with voters there? Take Hatoyama and the Japanese electoral verdict.By all accounts it would appear that the emphasis was on the domestic front particularly as it related to economic challenges faced by the country.It is very unlikely that voters in Japan went with Hatoyama so that the new leadership can go about radically alter the frame of reference of Tokyo's relations with Washington. Rather voters in Japan gave a mandate
to The Democrats so that steps could be taken to pull the country out of the deep economic slump. Even before the recession global started biting its way across the world,the Japanese economy was already limping;and with unemployment levels now at record high of around six per cent the Japanese are looking up to their politicians to take measures to kickstart or jumpstart the economy.And Hatoyama and his colleagues will have a even more difficult times as they start looking at the demographic scene slowly but steadily making its mark. All this not to say that issues of foreign relations are not important. The Democrats have said that while they will be pushing for "more" independence from the United States,they have stressed that they are looking for good relations with Washington. And as far as Asia is concerned Hatoyama has himself been quoted as saying that Japan must not forget that its identity as a nation is in Asia.If first and firm indications are anything to go by,it is unlikely that there are going to be any sudden or "radical" departures in Tokyo's approach to bilateral or global relations. The Obama administration need not lose much sleep on this account. But "managing" this critical alliance will be challenge for both Tokyo and Washington.There are other international challenges for the new leaders ofJapan especially in the context of the Asia Pacific where apprehensions still remain and some of this pegged to what took place in the Second World War.For Tokyo,the primary focus will be on China and North Korea—meeting the political and regional security concerns. The bottom line in all this hoopla about "changes" in Japan's foreign policy is that democratic countries do not go about abruptly shifting gears just because there has been a change of guard.Politicians in these societies realize that it is not only unwise to switch bilateral and multilateral relations but also practically difficult given the entrenched interests in place.
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