It would seem clearly not the case that the university's financial survival is at risk, which is the AAUP's legal definition for a declaration of exigency.
According to the AAUP's Recommended Institutional Regulations , a financial exigency such as the Board will consider at its March 4 meeting, is
An imminent financial crisis that threatens the survival of the institution as a whole and that cannot be alleviated by less drastic means than the termination of tenured faculty appointments.
One hopes that the Board will discuss whether hiring of non-essential non-academic personnel is a pretty good indication that additional measures could be taken to
assure continuity of the university before faculty are terminated.
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The NFA is absolutely correct to question this recent hire. We should further question the wisdom of hiring a new vice provost (on campus interviews to begin next week). There are currently 27 faculty and 31 administrative faculty searches at UNLV. I wonder how faculty will respond to pay cuts and furloughs if we continue to hire? The NFA and Senate must remind the administration that shared governance will result in the best possible solutions during this budget crisis.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that a position vacant for 6 months should not have been filled given the budget issues. When everyone is doing more with less I think it is reasonable to believe the police chief and second in command could have handled the duties of a third administrator. The need for more cops as the chief maintains is not realistic when the hire will not patrol and serve as a polic officer. In addition, it should not have been filled based on the fact that it is a 6 figure salary that does not enhance the basic charge of the university and that is to teach students. Shouldnt any and all hires be put on hold until the true magnitude of the budget reductions are known. If you look at the last year you will find that the vast number of hired positions are in the area of adminstration and not faculty. Approximately 99% of raises at UNLV have been haded out to the adminstration with 1% to faculty. The hires and raises that have been publicized send the absolute wrong message and fuels the public slash and burn policy associated with higer education.
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