Takeaway: Sign and share the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union’s open letter urging President Tate to stop the budget cuts. Click here to sign.
Dear colleague,
President Tate is imposing “stand-still” budgets, a mandate that will undermine our educational mission and overwhelmingly impact lecturers. This means programs are required to submit budgets that anticipate typical increased costs without accounting for the increased revenue that will come with the annual tuition increase. This is a university-wide mandate, but these austerity measures are hitting hardest in SAS New Brunswick. If we don’t put a stop to it now, it will spread across all of Rutgers.
Last week, we met with the SAS department chairs and program directors. Chairs called these cuts unnecessary and harmful. The chairs and program directors have written a joint letter to President Tate and Chancellor Conway demanding that the directive be reversed.
We all have the power to collectively push back against these cuts. If these cuts are enacted, those gains will be undermined, lecturers will lose their jobs, and our students will suffer from cancelled courses, larger class sizes, and longer time-to-degree. Full-time faculty will likely see their teaching loads increase, leaving less time for research. We need to stand together again now to protect the Rutgers we deserve.
Sign on to the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union’s open letter to President Tate, urging him to halt the budget cuts, then spread the word to your students and colleagues.
In solidarity,
Becky and HP
Rebecca Givan, President, Rutgers AAUP-AFT
Heather Pierce, President, Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union