The Daily Campus published a letter last Tuesday from The University of Connecticut Chapter of the American Association of University Professors to President Radenka Maric and Provost Anne D’Alleva, calling for a meeting and the revision of UConn’s Outdoor Amplified and Projected Sound Policy, the Outdoor Activities Policy and the Posting Policy, all of which were revised during the Summer of 2024. The letter argues these new policy revisions violate Article 3 of their collective bargaining agreement, which affirms certain protections to faculty academic freedom.
The changes to the three policies come after a year of protests regarding a variety of issues, including the pro-Palestinian encampment near Dove Tower, rallies against fossil fuel usage and protests over budget cuts. Had the updated policies been in place last year, they would have banned all three of these events. Most alarmingly, all of these updates were made silently over the summer without sending out emails to staff and students.
These sudden policy changes highlight a lapse in communication between UConn and its students and staff. The AAUP and GEU spent a significant portion of last school year protesting against budget cuts to academic and graduate programs. Students and faculty involved in the protests were particularly concerned about the lack of transparency, clarity and timely communication from the university. Many of the picketers expressed frustration that they heard the news from other channels first, rather than through the university. Additionally, some picketers asserted that their department funding had been removed without ample warning.
This wasn’t the only time that UConn has failed to promote clear communication and action with staff and students. Last May, the CT Mirror published an article based on four student groups who felt that they weren’t being heard or taken seriously by the administration. While the UConn Board of Trustees promises that they are listening to speakers during the public comment portion of their meetings, students are seeing little action on the issues that they bring up such as UConn’s continued dependence on fossil fuels and state of student safety mechanisms like the Emergency Blue Phone system.
UConn’s updated Posting Policy, Outdoor Activities Policy and Outdoor Amplified and Projected Sound Policy, which the Editorial Board has addressed in the past, further restrict channels of communication between the administration and those who depend on it. These policies gradually whittle down the ability of students and faculty alike to speak out in meaningful ways, pushing them towards restrictive university sponsored avenues. The posting policy, which the letter specifically mentions, is a good example of this. By leaving posting decisions to academic departments and building managers, UConn has opened a door for individuals to restrict professors who want to exercise their right to free speech by posting printed materials on their doors or on the bulletin boards outside of their offices.
The Editorial Board encourages students and faculty to advocate for clear, timely and transparent communication with UConn on all matters that affect the community. We also call on the administration to properly address these claims and agree to meet with the AAUP regarding their letter. Communication between the administration, unions, staff and students are vital to the success of our university.
That CT Mirror article you linked to is a great example of the ethics problems with the DC. You had one DC editor writing the column (at another paper!) and giving flattering coverage and promotion of another DC editor, but without disclosing the professional relationship. But who needs ethics when the university gives you a blank check every year, amirite. Check out dcbias.wordpress.com!