UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON ARCHIVES
				ORAL HISTORY PROJECT

Interview #683
FRASCONA, CHARLOTTE

FRASCONA, Charlotte (1952- )
Director of Student and Administrative Services, IRRI
At UW: 1996-

Interviewed: 2004	
Interviewer: W. Lee Hansen	
Length: 1 hour		

Abstract: In her June 23, 2004 interview, Charlotte Frascona discussed her professional background and her career working in the administration of the Industrial Relations Research Institute (IRRI). Frascona’s interview focuses on her duties at the IRRI, the institute’s leadership, and the contributing factors to its demise in the early 2000s.

Keywords: Educational background; Hiring by IRRI; Job responsibilities; Colleagues; Tenure-granting authority; Student interest in industrial relations; Funding dilemmas; Faculty recruitment; Barbash Fund; Closing of the IRRI. 

NOTE:  THIS INTERVIEW IS RESTRICTED UNTIL 2009 AND CAN ONLY BE USED WITH THE EXPRESSED, WRITTEN CONSENT OF CHARLOTTE FRASCONA.

First Interview Session (June 23, 2004): Tape 1

Tape 1/Side 1

00:00:38	Charlotte Frascona earned her PhD in English from UW; she worked as an editor at the UW Press and for Student Academic Affairs in the College of Letters & Science. The Industrial Relations Research Institute (IRRI) hired her in 1996 as director of student and administrative services.

00:01:45	CF details her job responsibilities in the IRRI, which included serving as a graduate advisor, running the graduate program, and outreach work with alumni and employers.

00:02:45	She lists the directors of the IRRI during her tenure.

00:05:08	She addresses concerns over the IRRI's lack of tenure-granting authority.

00:07:47	CF goes on to describe other dilemmas facing the IRRI: for instance, students' increasing interest in human resources management and their diminishing interest in unions and collective bargaining. Furthermore, many international students expressed interest in the IRRI, but the Institute was unable to fund them adequately. She mentions that the IRRI was resistant to courting funds from businesses because faculty were afraid of allowing corporations to influence the curriculum.

00:14:28	She describes the IRRI's efforts to achieve tenure-granting authority.

00:17:09	She talks at length about the IRRI's failed attempt to recruit Adrienne Eaton from Rutgers to serve as director of the Institute.

00:30:34	End of side.

Tape 1/Side 2

00:30:36	Charlotte Frascona continues to talk about the failed recruitment of a new director for the Industrial Relations Research Institute (IRRI). She thinks that this failure, combined with the budget shortfall facing the College of Letters & Science, led to the closing of the IRRI.

00:32:23	She talks about cluster-hiring proposals.

00:34:18	CF talks about the final class of IRRI students.

00:37:18	She mentions the Barbash Fund, which was established by IRRI alumni.

00:39:15	CF describes her role in helping students cope with the closing of the IRRI. She goes on to describe the fortunes of industrial relations programs nationally.

00:44:37	She describes alumni reactions to the closing of the IRRI and goes on to discuss reasons for the lack of support for the IRRI among social science faculty.

00:52:04	Some faculty members proposed moving the administration of the IRRI to the La Follette School of Public Affairs, the Business School, or inter-college programs.

00:56:30	End of side. End of tape. End of interview.

END