Because communication around major initiatives usually comes from upstairs, there is an assumption that the initiatives are being imposed directly from upstairs. There is a need to make context visible and illustrate where and how change is occurring on a wider level. Levels of awareness vary and so do our senses of urgency and inevitability. We need common language to discuss these issues to do justice to them. If we believe that faculty are needed to bring initiatives to life and to tailor them to our disciplines and to our institutions, then these conversations are very important.
Faculty are the people that implement many policies.
We are the interface. We need to be involved to make these policies work. Passive compliance is non-compliance. Much of our teaching is done behind closed doors. The world doesn't know what we do and what is really important to us.