The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
Union rally slams state university contract proposal
NEW HAVEN — Members of the state’s university faculty union took a whiff of what may be included in their next contract, and they don’t like the smell.
Standing beside a 14-foot inflatable skunk, members of the Connecticut State University American Association of University Professionals gathered at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven on Wednesday to say the Connecticut Board of Regents’ initial contract proposals “stink.”
The union represents faculty under the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities system that is governed by the Board of Regents; the system includes four universities — Southern, Central, Western and Eastern Connecticut State Universities.
Representatives of the CSU-AAUP, which favors the use of public theater during contract negotiations , said Board of Regents negotiators made a proposal that would limit research opportunities for faculty as well as increase class sizes and faculty workloads.
Cindy Stretch, an English professor at SCSU and a co-chairwoman of the union’s organizing committee, said the Regents’ proposals would give faculty less power in determining how competitive research grants are allocated by giving central office administrators more say on those committees.
“The idea is if I want my research funded I have to kiss the ring,” she said.
Additionally, she said the proposal would increase faculty workloads, leaving less time for faculty to address student needs.
A spokesman for the CSCU system said the proposals discussed at Wednesday’s rally represent “starting positions” within the negotiating process.
“As always, both sides in these types of exchanges start with initial proposals and work to the middle to ensure a balanced agreement in the end,” said CSCU system spokesman Leigh Appleby. “We are confident
that we will ultimately come to a reasonable agreement that enables our management team, including the campus leaders who helped craft our proposals, to provide excellent education and services that students can afford and that can be sustained in every community.”
Several speakers at Wednesday’s rally criticized the Board of Regents as being cloistered, non-educators
making decisions that don’t benefit education within the system.
“The Board of Regents seems to make decisions based on spreadsheets,” said Shelly Jones, a mathematics professor at Central Connecticut State University. “As faculty, we are experts in our fields. If only the Board of Regents would consult with us and us with them before making decisions.”
Tim Parrish, a writing professor at SCSU, said he was able to receive an education because of affordable public school. He said it was there, having interacted with professors, that he realized what he wanted to do as a career path.
“This Board of Regents proposal wants to undercut that by removing personnel from decisions,” he said.
He said that, should the system further centralize its operations, the school may become “Southern Connecticut State University of Phoenix” — a reference to a for-profit, online college. He warned against replacing faculty with “factories” and treating students as “units we need to move.”
The union also was supported by several students who spoke about the impact professors have had on them and their education.
Jacob Chamberlain, a senior at SCSU and an aspiring literature professor, said he believes students have been barred from sharing their thoughts with the Board of Regents.
“Our faculty has always been open to student discussions,” he said.
Josh Cam, a senior at SCSU who began his education at Norwalk Community College, said students like him would have nothing to gain from supporting professors if it were merely a pay dispute.
“The Board of Regents aren’t the ones teaching us,” he said.
Appleby said that, during negotiations, the system is mindful of its financial situation.
“Enrollment at the universities saw a staggering 8 percent drop this semester. Perhaps more concerning was the steep drop in residence hall occupancy, which led to a 41 percent decrease in housing revenue. The current-year projected deficit for universities stands at $36 million. That is to say nothing of the 17 percent enrollment decrease at the community colleges,” he said.