THE MESSAGE WAS LOUD & CLEAR!!!

The voice of the faculty of Florida International University was heard by the FIU administration, and perhaps equally important, by the FIU Board of Trustees!

Our message, articulated in the UFF Reports “How FIU Spends Its Money,” was loud and clear: no more program closures until administrative overhead is brought under control.

The UFF wishes to thank Dr. Bruce Nissen and the team at the Research Institute for Social and Economic Policy for their hard and exacting work on the two reports entitled “How FIU Spends Its Money.” These reports had a critical impact on the discussion of budget cuts this year at FIU, both in the Faculty Senate and in the recent BOT meetings. These reports were the “game changers” that allowed the Faculty Senate and university community to rise up against more program closures. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bruce Nissen and his colleagues at RISEP.
How Does FIU Spend Its Money
How Does FIU Spend Its Money Part II

Our appreciation also to Trustee and Faculty Senate Chair Tom Breslin who gave an excellent presentation that summarized the Faculty Senate’s position and the concerns of the faculty for the future direction of our institution. The presence of the university community at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting also sent a clear and important message.

While the Board did not rule out more program closures, our message that it needs to look at administrative overhead was heard. We hope to work with the FIU administration to address the concerns of faculty while preserving the academic mission of the university. We will make our voice heard again at the bargaining table when we reopen contract negotiations later this week.

In case you were not able to attend Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the UFF statement, given by UFF Chief Negotiator Lorna Veraldi is attached.

The UNITED FACULTY OF FLORIDA is the collective independent voice of the faculty!

If you are not yet a part of our voice – you need to JOIN NOW!

In solidarity,
Leslie