Amidst continued outrage regarding a planned 15% cut to academic operational support budgets, the University of Connecticut held their second in-person Budget Town Hall in the Student Union Theatre on Wednesday, March 20.
President Radenka Maric, CFO Jeffrey Geoghegan, and Provost Anne D’Alleva addressed questions and concerns from faculty and students alike in an open forum. Petitioners addressed issues from collective bargaining to communication and accountability, but most inquired after the effect of the cuts on CLAS departments, specifically UConn’s ability to protect its elite status as an R1 research university.
Advocacy groups for faculty and students on campus, such as the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the Graduate Employee & Postdoc Union (GEU), argued that cuts to CLAS departments, which have already faced downsizing and cost-cutting efforts in the past, will jeopardize their ability to provide necessary academic services.
Graduate programs across the college are particularly at risk. “We once had a rigorous graduate program that drew people from across the world and U.S.,” history professor Brendan Kane said in an interview with the CT Mirror, “Now, we barely have anything left.”
The elimination of graduate programs is of particular concern, but even for departments who retain graduate education, the cuts will manifest in the form of fewer TAs, larger class sizes and subsequently, increased workload for graduate students and faculty alike.
“At the beginning of January, [Provost D’Alleva] met with department heads in CLAS,” English Department Head Clare Costley King’oo said.
“Every single department head in that room told you that the amount you were asking us to cut would lead to catastrophic consequences.”
Clare Costley King’oo
King’oo also highlighted concerns over the physical and mental health of its faculty amidst increasing workloads, which would be exacerbated by cost-cutting measures.
“I’ve been at the University of Connecticut for almost 20 years now, and over that time, I’ve seen our department receive multiple budget cuts,” King’oo said. “I’ve seen my colleagues, staff… all employees of the university take on a greater and greater workload.”
“When I look at the faculty in my department now, I see folks who are working extremely hard, many more hours than the 40 the university imagines they’re working per week. Sometimes it’s 60, sometimes it’s 80,” King’oo said. “I’m seeing folks who are becoming very tired and experiencing extreme medical crises, so I am deeply concerned about people as we face these cuts.”
King’oo expressed concerns over the ability of the university to provide a healthy work/life balance for professors, especially in a post-budget cut environment.
“Would you commit to surveying the faculty and staff and the graduate students, finding out how much we work per week… how our time is divided, and how we’re doing in terms of our physical and mental health?” she concluded, receiving enthusiastic applause from those present.
“I appreciate what you’re saying,” responded Provost D’Alleva.
“I am concerned about every person who belongs to this community because I belonged to it for 25 years. I will say the workloads are structured differently across schools and colleges—I think everyone works extremely hard but extremely hard in a different way in each place.”
Provost D’Alleva
She expressed openness to the idea of surveying the faculty, and remarked that while it was not a unilateral decision she could commit to immediately at the town hall, it was something the university should include in the future discussions.
Further questions related to the topic of temporary funds. The university admitted to using temporary funds, including ARPA relief funds provided over the COVID-19 pandemic to pay ongoing costs such as faculty salaries. While some critics view this as a decision which aggravated the current budget crisis, UConn administrators attest this was the only option provided to them.
“Again, the statement goes back to ‘we never requested temporary funds.’,” said Geoghegan. “We never requested ARPA funds. We requested help from the state to balance our budget, and this was a method they had to get us some of that [help].”
The best-case scenario for this year, Geoghegan said, is that the state provides the $18 million in permanent funds the university is requesting. If the Legislature and Governor Lamont can only provide temporary funds, such an influx would still be vital to pay salaries and diminish the impact of UConn’s “reduction plan.”
“If it happens again this year, we are going to take it. We will take the temporary funds and make sure we are able to present a balanced budget to our trustees and directors,” he said, “but we also need permanent support. If they help us balance the current year but it’s one time, we will be back here July 1st.”