Whereas: Andy Merrifield (known by one and all as simply “Andy”) has served as Chair of the Faculty in 1999-2000, and on the University Standards Committee since 2000; and
Whereas: Andy has served as President of the Sonoma State University (SSU) chapter of the California Faculty Association (CFA) since 2004, and in that capacity, he has served since 2008 on the SSU Academic Senate as CFA Representative and on the Faculty Standards and Affairs Committee as well; and
Whereas: Andy has served on the CFA Statewide Executive Board, and on the CFA Statewide Bargaining Team since 2004, and currently serves as the Chair of that team; and
Whereas: in his service on the CFA bargaining team Andy’s leadership has resulted in bargaining strategies that have culminated in successful faculty contracts with the CSU; and
Whereas: Andy, along with his dear friend John Travis, is one of the fiercest advocates for faculty rights in the CSU, a talent he has used to repeatedly both locally and statewide to help expand lecturers rights, solidify protections for faculty against unreasonable workload, guarantee due process in RTP proceedings and protect academic freedom; and
Whereas: Andy has achieved the noteworthy distinction of garnering the respect of everyone around the bargaining table, whether friend or foe; and
Whereas: Andy is known to use his, to put it mildly, irreverent sense of humor to devastating effect against those who think too much of themselves, especially administrative types; and
Whereas: Andy is the one who will always have your back when you are being chased by a president, provost, or dean down a dark alley; and
Whereas: Andy has achieved an almost legendary stature among his faculty colleagues as an administrative critic, union advocate and champion of those who won’t champion themselves; and
Whereas: Andy has shown a remarkable willingness to sit (often on a chair he has himself provided) through sometimes interminable meetings to keep his shared governance colleagues informed and on their toes; and
Whereas: Andy has eschewed the conventional professorial wardrobe to instead provide through his garb a remarkable display of the historical, regional, economic and sociopolitical dimensions of Our National Sport; and
Whereas: Andy is as much a part of the heart and soul of Sonoma State University as anyone can be; and
Whereas: In the immortal words from the Big Lebowski, “The Dude Abides…,” therefore
Be it resolved: That the SSU Academic Senate express its deep respect and appreciation to Andy Merrifield for his tireless work on behalf of the faculty of the CSU, and especially his peerless efforts to protect the rights and working conditions of his colleagues at Sonoma State University.