UConn-AAUP Update: January 18, 2024
UConn-AAUP Update to Webinar
UConn Administration Implements 5-Year Financial Plan
UConn-AAUP Responds with One-Pager, Open Letter, Petition, and Calls for Town Hall
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UConn-AAUP Update to Webinar
Greetings UConn-AAUP,
Thank you to everyone who attended last week’s webinar on UConn’s 5-year Financial Plan. It was a powerful show of solidarity to have more than 145 people RSVP for the event. We sincerely apologize for the 100-person meeting capacity and have taken steps to ensure all will be able to attend our Zoom meetings in the future. Here are a few key points we wanted to highlight and our plans for future action.
- UConn-AAUP will continue to hold meetings with members to facilitate open discussion, information exchange, and coordinate actions in response to UConn’s 5-year Financial Plan. The next meeting will be Tuesday January 23rd at 7pm on Zoom. Register for the discussion here: Registration: January 23rd Meeting
- Following the January 9th webinar, the Executive Committee of UConn-AAUP sent a formal request to President Maric and Provost D’alleva to hold a UConn Community Town Hall for the purpose of transparently presenting the information and evidence that is guiding the 5-year Financial Plan. In response, there are 3 Town Hall meetings that have been planned. The first is January 24, 2024 – look for details coming from the Provost Office.
- If you were unable to attend the Zoom webinar on January 9th and would like to view the recording, please contact MichaelBailey@uconn.edu. Slides are available at this link. There was also a request for a One-Pager of information. It has been updated after the UConn-Union Coalition meeting today with President Maric, Provost D’alleva and Jeff Geoghegan, CFO.
- During the webinar we discussed UConn’s ongoing relationship with Huron Consulting Group. We have submitted a Public Records request for any and all contracts with Huron. Thank you to Professor Sandy Grande for sharing information about Huron’s previous involvement in budget cuts at The New School, UNH, and the University of Wisconsin system. We have attached an FAQ on Huron Consulting courtesy of our AAUP colleagues at The New School.
- UConn-AAUP is expanding our Organizing Committee, and we welcome any member to join. The OC will be developing the union’s collective response to Admin’s disastrous budget plan. Please contact Sam Sommers smsommers@gmail.com or Gina DeVivo Brassaw ginadb@uconnaaup.org for details.
UConn Administration Implements 5-Year Financial Plan
At an Associate Deans and Department Head meeting on December 12, 2023, the Provost announced a 5-year Financial Plan that would require Units to provide a 15% cut in their budgets spread over the 5 years. Department heads were asked to begin to prepare their budget submission with a 3% cut for the first year of the plan. The reaction from the department heads was immediate and clear: after meeting budget rescissions for the past 5 – 8 years, a plan to reduce 15% over the next 5 years would cause an elimination of programs and reduction in temporary employees, putting more of a burden on already overworked faculty and staff.
UConn-AAUP Responds with Open Letter, One Pager, Petition and Calls for Town Hall
In reaction to the announcement of the 5-year Financial Plan, members of the faculty sent a Petition and Open Letter to the President, Provost and Members of the Board of Trustees. UConn-AAUP also asked for the UConn leadership to host a Town Hall to explain the data that led to this decision.
UConn-AAUP also provides this One Pager to assist members when speaking to their legislators and members of the public.
In Solidarity,
Jeffrey O. G. Ogbar, President
Jean McCarthy, Executive Vice President
Michael Bailey, Executive Director
Tel 860.487.0450
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