Dear Colleagues,
When I was in graduate school, I never imagined for a minute that I would be spending time as a professor worrying about the cost of athletic facilities, or the differences between tuition and fees. I thought my life was going to be all about the life of the mind. I have since come to the conclusion, however, that for the life of the mind to flourish, it needs a home, and faculty like us sometimes need to put in a little time taking care of that home. From experience, I've seen that if faculty aren't keeping an eye on things, people who are further away from the real work of the institution make all the decisions, perspectives can get lost, and the whole institution can start to stray.
So this week, as the Board of Trustees prepares to meet and UA prepares for fact finding, it's time for us all to learn about and discuss how we keep a roof over our collective heads, i.e., UVM's budget. Please consider one or more of the following opportunities to learn and make your concerns heard:
- Join us Thursday, February 1, 4:30-6:00 in 413 Waterman building for our “Opening the Books on UVM” panel discussion about faculty and student concerns regarding UVM’s budget priorities that we fear are diverting too many funds from the academic mission.
- Stop by the United Academics Davis Center atrium table on Friday, February 2, anytime between 11 and 1 to talk with faculty and share perspectives.
- We have some information on our websites, and hope to soon add more, that you may find interesting: http://www.unitedacademics.org/facts-about-uvm-spending/ and https://www.uafaircontract.org/we-sustain-uvm-1/
As always, I'm eager to hear from any of you directly: thomas.streeter@uvm.edu.
Best wishes,
Tom Streeter
President, United Academics