Ohio University's chapter of the American Association of University Professors led a discussion about budget cuts and divisions between different faculty classifications at a brownbag yesterday afternoon.
About 20 faculty discussed looming staff eliminations, touching on divisions among tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty, as well as the most effective way to send a message to upper administrators.
Group II and IV faculty, who are not tenure track, said they have assumed additional administrative, organizational and technical duties as department staff has disappeared, and they're concerned now that their jobs are on the line.
Norma Pecora, president of OU's AAUP branch, said she thinks it's important for all faculty groups to come together given the current economic climate.
This isn't meant to be Group I versus the contingents
Pecora said. We are all in the same boat.
Lori LaPierre, a Group II professor in biological sciences, said she has felt more support from tenure-track professors since a series of universitywide budget forums last quarter. Still, Loren Lybarger, a Group I professor in classics and world religions, said they won't make progress until Group I faculty are feeling the pain, too.
The administration has been quite smart in this death by a million cuts to protect Group I's
Lybarger said, explaining those choices seem to have pacified many of his Group I colleagues.
How do you forge links of solidarity across these divisions? he asked.
Administrators have been working to fill a $13.75 million hole in next year's budget as the university faces a decrease in state funding, as well as at least 42 layoffs.
OU has estimated it will eliminate five Group II faculty and seven Group IV faculty, but those numbers could change as the provost distributes $1 million to departments for instructional
hiring.
LaPierre said she has been trying to inform her students about the budget cuts and possible position eliminations.
I realize that the students are the only ones who can make a difference
she said, adding that several of her students chose to write to top administrators after learning their instructors were slated for cuts. When we told our students who was going to be on the block ... it was very clear that we are important to them.
Professors also discussed writing letters to the Board of Trustees and the state's chancellor for higher education, and organizing for Moms Weekend to inform OU parents about potential cuts.
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Emily Grannis
