[mpen-dayton] FW: Letter to WSU President and Board of Trustees & FW: Registered to vote? Double-check or get started now! and more!
FYI. Best, Munsup
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· FW: Letter to WSU President and Board of Trustees
· FW: Registered to vote? Double-check or get started now! and more!
· FW: You still have time to RSVP to see Tim Kaine in Dayton TODAY!
· FW: A message from Rabbi Joseph
· FW: Reminder of Ted Strickland's Fundraiser
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From:AAUP-WSU <aaupwsu@gmail.com>
Subject: Letter to President David Hopkins and the WSU Board of Trustees
Date: September 12, 2016 at 9:30:05 AM EDT
Greetings to all Bargaining Unit Faculty,
Copied below please find a letter to President David Hopkins and the WSU Board of Trustees. As you will see, it pertains to the current budget crisis. I commend the entire letter to your attention. The last two sentences read as follows:
You need to trim administrative bloat and to cut entities that have generated costs rather than revenues and reinvest in the core mission of this university. If you are either unable or unwilling to act in this way, then you should resign.
Shortly, the letter will be available on the AAUP-WSU Blog.
Thank you for your attention to this message, and thank you for supporting AAUP-WSU.
Best regards,
Martin Kich, President, AAUP-WSU
(Munsup's Note: You may find more information from the articles posted here:
http://www.wright.edu/administration/aaup/aaup.html)
------------------------------------------ Copy of the Letter --------------------------------------------
Sunday, September 11, 2016
To President David Hopkins and the WSU Board of Trustees:
The AAUP-WSU wants to notify the upper administration that we strongly oppose the firing of any bargaining unit faculty that support the core mission of our University: teaching our students. Fiscal mismanagement by the central administration has produced our current budget deficits. In particular, it has poured funds into entities and auxiliaries (e.g., Wright State Applied Research Corporation, Intercollegiate Athletics, Double Bowler, ad infinitum) which neither generate enough revenue to pay for themselves nor support the core mission of our University. Consulting expenses are at an all-time high--over $2 million in the most recent year reported, FY 2015! These misplaced priorities have continued in the budget cuts (still only vaguely delineated) made this summer, in which academic units suffered greater cuts than administrative ones. (See Cracking the Nut, Part 2.) Notably, the administration completely ignored the priorities enunciated by AAUP-WSU regarding where cuts should be made (see our April 13 letter to the Board of Trustees).
In a recent blog by the AAUP-WSU (see Cracking the Nut, Part 3), we have shown members of the campus community that the administrative headcount ratio compared to all employees in the University is 50.9%, which is second only to Ohio State University among Ohio's doctoral-level public universities.
The State Legislature is now requiring an Administrative Productivity Measure, and for this they specify four ratios: 1) Course Completion Ratio, which divides the Student Course Completed FTE by the Administrative Employee Headcount; 2) the Degree Completion Ratio, which divides the Student Degree Completion by the Administrative Employee Headcount; 3) Administrative Headcount Ratio (reported above for WSU) and 4) Administrative Expenditure ratio, which is administrative salary expenditure divided by Education and General Expenditure. In the productivity measures, Wright State had the third lowest course completion ratio, the lowest degree completion ratio and the second highest administrative expenditures ratio. From this data, only Ohio State has more administrative bloat than Wright State does, but at least they have positive net revenues nearly every year.
Faculty who teach and staff who support this teaching are certainly used to having our productivity and efficiency measured on a yearly basis, and we have proven our worth year after year. This is the first time that the administration's productivity and efficiency in Higher Education has been measured in Ohio, and from this analysis it is clear that a key place to cut personnel to improve Wright State's productivity and efficiency is in the upper administration. The State is requiring that Universities reply to this report with actions that will improve their productivity and efficiency. Why, at this time, are the academic units that support our teaching mission being told that they must undergo drastic cuts, which will impact our ability to teach and bring in revenue for the University?
Let's examine the accomplishments of the central administration in the past two years. It has brought a federal investigation into H1-B visa misuse on our campus that also implicated some members of the Board of Trustees, forcing their resignation. Various top administrators have departed or been suspended. Notably, the former Provost sits at home collecting a very substantial salary, and we still don't know whether the reasons for his suspension are only apparent misdeeds, or deeds actually subject to prosecution, or something in between. Three years ago, the central administration began WSU's unprecedented three-years-and-counting run of genuine deficit spending. This has necessitated precipitous reductions in WSU's reserves. But, rather than acting to cut immediately entities that neither generate enough revenue to pay for themselves nor support the core mission of our University, the central administration continued its profligate spending on these very same entities! Our intercollegiate athletics program has never come even remotely close to paying for itself and rarely stays within its generous budget, but this last year, in the midst of a serious budget crisis, the central administration decided to fire the basketball coach, whose contract had recently been extended and with whom a substantial settlement then had to be reached, and to hire another one at a considerably higher cost.
According to the table above, WSU's Administrative Expenditure Ratio is second worst in the state. But despite this clear evidence of administrative bloat, the central administration failed in performing one of its most basic duties: to report standard university data to the Carnegie Foundation during this time, resulting in a drop in our Carnegie Classification from R2 down to R3. For the first time in memory, the central administration also failed to report faculty salary and benefits data from the main campus to the AAUP Compensation Survey, despite repeated requests for this data. Likewise, Wright State was very late in filing financial data with the Board of Regents in this past year. The upper administration continues to pay huge consulting fees to help it figure out what it should do to respond to the numerous crises it has created. All of this taken together begs the question, exactly why are we paying such huge salaries to the top administrators? The only sensible thing the central administration has done in the past year is pull out of the Presidential debate when it became obvious that it could not raise enough money to cover the cost. But even that decision was made only after the university had incurred millions of dollars of costs for a debate that is now being held elsewhere.
An unending series of scathing media stories ranging from the sexual assault scandal involving the tennis team, to misuse of money to external consultants (who are supposedly not lobbyists!), to the aforementioned H1-B visa fiasco have made it very clear to everyone that the central administration has either caused or not done enough to prevent serious and ongoing damage to the reputation of our university.
Given your chronically misplaced priorities and wanton negligence, it is beyond the pale to ask WSU students to suffer for your errors by reducing the full-time faculty and otherwise cutting academic units who deliver their education. You need to do the right thing and absorb the bulk of the cuts yourself. You need to trim administrative bloat and to cut entities that have generated costs rather than revenues and reinvest in the core mission of this university.
If you are either unable or unwilling to act in this way, then you should resign.
Marty Kich President, AAUP-WSU On Behalf of the Executive Committee of AAUP-WSU
---------------------- End of the Letter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: HFA Vote Team [mailto:info@hillaryclinton.com]
Subject: Registered to vote? Double-check or get started now!
We're just 57 days away from Election Day -- and with early vote starting in some states in just a few weeks, we've got one thing on our minds: registering voters.
This election is too important to think about sitting out, and with voter registration deadlines coming up in a lot of states, it's important for all of us to make sure we can make our voices heard.
Check your registration status right here and get registered if you aren't already -- the whole process only takes a couple of minutes:
|
From: Hillary for Ohio
Subject: You still have time to RSVP to see Tim Kaine in Dayton TODAY!
You still have time to RSVP to join Tim Kaine in Dayton on Monday. Don't miss this amazing opportunity to see him in person!
RSVP below:
-----Forwarded message-----
From: Hillary for Ohio
Subject: Monday: Join Tim Kaine in Dayton!
Tim Kaine is headed to Dayton on Monday, and he would love to see this team's best supporters turn out and stand with Hillary and other Democrats. Can you make it?
Tim is so excited to share our campaign's vision for America with you in person. He'll talk about making the economy work for everyone -- not just those at the top. In an uncertain world and time in our history, he'll share with you what it will take to keep us safe. And finally he will outline in very clear terms what the stakes are in this election and for everyone who calls Ohio and America their home.
The organizing event with Tim is on Monday, September 12th -- RSVP now to join Tim and other passionate supporters in Dayton before space fills up.
Tim's fired up and ready to make Hillary's case, and we hope you can bring your friends and family, too, for this special and important event. Don't wait to sign up:
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From: Rabbi Joseph Berman; Manager of Government Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, Jewish Voice for Peace
Subject: A message from Rabbi Joseph
In 2015 I gave up my job as a pulpit rabbi in Boston to open JVP's office in Washington DC.
I don't have a congregation any more, but I'm still doing holy work everyday. Working for equality and human rights for Palestinians and Israelis is an incredible privilege, and among the holiest work I can think of.
Our work in DC is only just beginning, but we're already making a real impact. We have $24,000 left to raise for our 10-day, dollar-for-dollar match, and I'm asking for your help. When we've needed you before, you've been there. Will you help grow our work in DC by chipping in $36 -- instantly doubled to $72.
What we're trying to do is simple: take an issue that most politicians think is impossible to talk about and make it an issue that's impossible to ignore.
Let me give you a recent example of our work. Earlier this year, Rep. Betty McCollum organized a congressional letter to President Obama about the military detention of Palestinian children. Together with our coalition partners at American Friends Service Committee, DCI Palestine, and other organizations, we helped organize 19 of her colleagues to join her, and they demanded that the U.S. government speak up on behalf of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.
We're talking constantly with Congressional offices, and so are over 30 of our chapters across the country. We encourage Members to stand for Palestinian human rights, and we have their backs when they get attacked for it.
We're moving the issue of Palestinian human rights from the margins to the center.
But we're not there yet. And we can't truly build power for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine without our most dedicated supporters stepping up. Click here to give $36 -- instantly doubled to $72.
Here's where we could be in a year's time. This year we had 20 signatories on Rep. McCollum's letter -- next year we could have 40. We could see the first legislation introduced to protect and uphold Palestinian human rights, see dozens of Members of Congress signing onto it, and speaking out publicly in favor of it. We could create consequences -- real political and media backlash -- for Members who aren't willing to do the right thing, and make it clear that JVP is here to stay in Washington D.C.
Like the sound of that? With your support, that's where we could be this time next year. Click here to help make it happen with a $36 donation.
And what about after that?
Here's where we could be in five years' time. A full office of researchers, lobbyists, organizers (and rabbis!) with the real political power needed to take on AIPAC. When AIPAC talks, politicians listen, and we need to be able to demand the same. In five years' time, we could have a Congress that truly takes a stand for Palestinian human rights. That challenges unfettered aid to Israel. That punishes home demolitions and settlement construction. That doesn't just propose, but votes on and passes legislation for equality, dignity, and human rights for all the people of Israel/Palestine.
That's our vision. Help make it happen.
Does it sound unlikely? Maybe. But if you'd told me 5 years ago that 20 members of Congress would sign a letter calling for an investigation into Israel's human rights abuses, I'd have called that unlikely too.
And it happened.
The only limit to what we can achieve is what we're willing to fight for. I'm fighting everyday for Palestinian human rights, and a US foreign policy grounded in peace and justice.
Will you fight with me?
If we're going to build a powerful bloc for Palestinian human rights, we need more staff here in DC. We need more chapters across the U.S. who can pressure their representatives, and more organizers to help train them to do so. We need briefings and pamphlets and posters and business cards and office space.
And for all those things, we need money. There's $24,000 left in our $75,000 match, and I hope I can count on you. Can you give $36 to help us over the finish line?
Jewish Voice for Peace is a national membership organization inspired by Jewish tradition to work for the freedom, equality, and dignity of all the people of Israel and Palestine. Become a JVP Member today.
From: Carroll & Rebecca
Subject: Reminder of Ted Strickland's Fundraiser
It is imperative that Ted Strickland be elected to the Senate. His win is part of a senatorial election outcome that Bernie Sanders suggests will contribute to a Democratic Senate. And if you would like to review the reasons why a Strickland win is imperative, we have included a Strickland/Portman issue by issue comparison:
We have two objectives for this Strickland fundraiser:
1. To raise money for his campaign.
2. To have a petit rally for Ted and his campaign.
Those are the reasons we would like you to attend. If you can't attend, feel free to send us a check made out to: Strickland for Senate. If you don't want to contribute now, please still come to the petit rally and let's encourage our Senate candidate.
So… Please remember to attend our Strickland fundraiser Sunday, September 25th at noon. Ted Strickland is scheduled to arrive about 1:00 PM for an hour. Light refreshments will be served.
· Our address is: 2764 Stauffer Drive, Beavercreek OH 45434.
· Our phone number is: 937-429-2569. Please call if you need directions.
Please RSVP to Carroll, cnday@woh.rr.com
End of MPEN e-Newslettter
posted by lucas at 8:12 AM
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