City University of New York professors are furious with the public university system’s handling of the financial crisis – and warn that “micromanaging” hiring procedures will cost it top talent.
The University announced a hiring freeze and budget cuts last month to help fill a deficit fueled by declining enrollment.
He convened a central vacancy review committee to review exceptions to the freeze.
“What we find unacceptable is the manner in which CUNY central administration is implementing cost-saving measures,” said a letter sent this week to CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez and signed by 110 department heads. and others. “Instead of planning in time for budget requirements that have been visible for months or even years, CUNY is imposing cuts immediately.”
The cuts were announced months after some CUNY administrators received fat increases.
“It’s heartbreaking and demoralizing to have this clamp up and down put the whole process for no good reason. Can’t we grow CUNY, instead of strangling it with financial cuts and bureaucracy? said Talia Schaffer, co-director of English at the Graduate Center
Larissa Swedell, chair of the department of anthropology at Queens College, said the review board was slowing down the process of hiring candidates and “with each passing day we are losing high quality candidates to other institutions. “.
Michael Newman, chair of linguistics and communication disorders at Queens College, said if the university cannot hire professors, class sizes could increase or sections could be cut.
“Our colleges and central offices are looking for cost-cutting measures without reducing student services or compromising our academic offerings. It is not unusual in processes like this to encounter questions and concerns from both faculty and students… This academic year, our class sizes have dropped while our ranks of full-time faculty have increased and we expect to continue on this trajectory despite fiscal challenges,” a CUNY spokesperson said.