Job security. Fair pay. Due process. Administrative transparency. Truly shared governance. These are my reasons for supporting a union. Unions aren’t always viewed in a positive light, but only a union-- one that empowers faculty to protect their rights and have a greater say in university decisions-- can help us meet the growing challenges I see at Pitt.
The future of higher education looks tenuous. Nationally, available grant money is declining (NSF 16-142), and universities are constantly blamed for rising tuitions. Congress just passed a law taxing the largest university endowments in the country. Statewide, the budget crisis has many wondering if Pitt and other “state-related” institutions can be funded in the future (Murphy, 10/16/2017, PennLive). In Greensburg, with its aging population, there are declines in student enrollment and corresponding losses in tuition revenue.
Because of this financial situation, my part-time colleagues have had classes cut with little warning, with corresponding losses to their income. Some have asked me if I could hire them to do yard work so they can pay their bills. Many faculty at Pitt-Greensburg are concerned about how little say they have in curriculum and teaching issues and in the overall direction of our regional campus. These faculty are on the front lines of education; their experience is valuable and needs to be heard, but they are often afraid to speak out. Non-tenure track faculty worry that if they voice their concerns their contracts will not be renewed. Even tenured full professors have told me that they’re afraid to express their opinion, for they know that in financially difficult times even tenure has limits.
Having worked at other institutions of higher education, I know what academic freedom can mean. I believe a union can help restore due process, shared governance, and administrative transparency. It can ensure that faculty rights are protected and jobs are not cut as punishment for speaking out. It’s faculty who directly engage in the core mission of a university, and they should have a major say in the decisions that affect its curriculum, teaching, research, and related issues.
I love my job at Pitt-Greensburg, and I only want to see the best for our university. I believe that giving faculty more protection and more of a voice will better our institution. A faculty union is essential to that. Hail Pitt!
--Russ Phillips Psychology, Pitt-Greensburg
The future of higher education looks tenuous. Nationally, available grant money is declining (NSF 16-142), and universities are constantly blamed for rising tuitions. Congress just passed a law taxing the largest university endowments in the country. Statewide, the budget crisis has many wondering if Pitt and other “state-related” institutions can be funded in the future (Murphy, 10/16/2017, PennLive). In Greensburg, with its aging population, there are declines in student enrollment and corresponding losses in tuition revenue.
Because of this financial situation, my part-time colleagues have had classes cut with little warning, with corresponding losses to their income. Some have asked me if I could hire them to do yard work so they can pay their bills. Many faculty at Pitt-Greensburg are concerned about how little say they have in curriculum and teaching issues and in the overall direction of our regional campus. These faculty are on the front lines of education; their experience is valuable and needs to be heard, but they are often afraid to speak out. Non-tenure track faculty worry that if they voice their concerns their contracts will not be renewed. Even tenured full professors have told me that they’re afraid to express their opinion, for they know that in financially difficult times even tenure has limits.
Having worked at other institutions of higher education, I know what academic freedom can mean. I believe a union can help restore due process, shared governance, and administrative transparency. It can ensure that faculty rights are protected and jobs are not cut as punishment for speaking out. It’s faculty who directly engage in the core mission of a university, and they should have a major say in the decisions that affect its curriculum, teaching, research, and related issues.
I love my job at Pitt-Greensburg, and I only want to see the best for our university. I believe that giving faculty more protection and more of a voice will better our institution. A faculty union is essential to that. Hail Pitt!
--Russ Phillips Psychology, Pitt-Greensburg