UNR professor and NFA lobbyist James Richardson met with the chapter at West Charleston campus of CSN to discuss pending budget cuts and their effects on faculty and programs.
He began on a positive note. “We have good relationships with people in the governor’s office and the budget office of the state,” he said. “We defeated a $100 million cut in our budget during the last Legislative session.”
It is at the upcoming Special Session called for Feb. 23 by Gov. Gibbons that Richardson said that NFA members could “do some good.” He noted a meeting held just days earlier in which the Interim Finance Committee of the Legislature “was educated” about what effect cuts of the magnitude being discussed will have on the NSHE system.
“Our Health Care plan is, regrettably, on the table,” Richardson said. “Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford said it’s on the list.”
Richardson urged NFA members to send emails to Senate Finance Committee members to urge them not to reduce this.
Asked about what tone to take in these email communications, Richardson said that should try “not to sound arrogant, or uncivil, or self-serving.” He added that anecdotes of how our classroom experience, and the students’ educational needs, would be helpful.
He said the NSHE system is lucky to have Dan Klaich as its current chancellor. “He’s articulate, intelligent, and people believe him,” Richardson said.
“Klaich is emphasizing that we need to get the autonomy to determine the cut,” he added. “And we will be cut. Anyone who doubts that is not facing facts.”
Richardson then went forward with an outline of where the cuts would likely happen. He later noted that this was not the complete list, but only the most likely targets.
First, he said that student fees for tuition, etc., are likely to rise. “That’s very regrettable, since over the past three years they have gone up 28 percent.”
Second, academic program reorganization is likely, Richardson said. There are basically two ways that the Regents can fire professors: declare “Financial Exigency” which is akin to bankruptcy (the state of Hawaii has recently done this.) The next way is “program reorganization.”
“There is some bumping (seniority) rights, but they aren’t written down,” Richardson said. “This is a more subtle way of making staff reductions, and it offers fewer protections, frankly.”
Richardson said that 40 faculty members have been terminated at UNR under this strategy over the past year, “and then the economy collapsed.”
The third and last major way the budget cuts will be enacted is through pay cuts, he said. “This will happen,” Richardson said. “We will fight to make them temporary.
“You can help by lobbying the Regents. Any code changes should be temporary.”
Senate Chair N. Mark Rauls said that the faculty need to debate any changes to the Regents Code, as well as Financial Exigency. It was pointed out that Regent Chair James Dean Leavitt has reportedly already directed his staff to begin filing papers for Exigency.
The talk turned to the subject of the state’s boom-and-bust cycles, and how the state needs a more stable tax base to support its existing infrastructure, including the colleges and universities.
We have the most screwed up tax structure in the United States, no doubt about it,” Richardson said. “No sales tax on services, no extraction taxes on mining. The governor vetoed Sen. Horsford’s proposal for a broad-based business tax and 40 other ones.”
Other possible taxes Nevada could adopt: a tax on Internet sales generated here, and a tax on services.
Executive Board member Steve Konowalow said that the gaming industry does not pay enough tax, compared with other states with legal gaming. One of the CSN staff present, who said she had moved in the last several years to Nevada from Kentucky, suggested a state lottery, but it was pointed out that the gaming industry has jealously protected its turf in this regard and has rebuffed any legislative proposals to enact a lottery.
Richardson brought the discussion back to the topic of budget cuts.
“The coming Legislative session will be horrendous in terms of revenue coming in,” Richardson said. “We need to do something in this state to improve this.”
One faculty member who identified herself as being in International Languages also a recent transplant to Nevada said that we should “look beyond taxes” for the solution to NSHE’s financial problems.
Richardson replied, “We need to look everywhere.”
At this point, the meeting adjourned, because Professor Richardson had to catch a plane back to Reno.
Meeting was called to order at 11:05AM. President Lyman welcomed all present. She then indicated that the first order of business would be to elect a replacement to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term of the VP of Legal Defense. The floor was opened for nominations. Only one nomination was brought forth, that of Matt Mahrt. He was elected with majority support.
Fred Conquest announced he is intending to run for Governor. President Lyman explained the process for NFA PAC endorsement and support.
President Lyman indicated we would not have a NFA workshop for the Spring Convocation. It was requested that NFA board members in their various disciplines could share the benefits of NFA membership at their respective department meetings. Kevin Anderson, the Part Time Faculty representative to the State NFA will attend the Part Time Faculty meetings during convocation. President Lyman will coordinate who is speaking at which department meetings.
Mark Rauls, vice-chair of the State NFA Legal Defense gave a presentation regarding the State NFA Legal Defense structure and process. He also went over the following issues that they have been working on or have been involved with:
Mark talked briefly about the new evaluation process particularly for Part-Time Faculty and the disparity on how various departments evaluate their part-timers.
They have a right to receive a copy of their evaluation and not all are receiving them.
There was a question brought forth regarding the process for evaluating Program Directors as some are not being evaluated in that capacity.
Discussion regarding student evaluations and that instructors are not getting a good response from students to do the online process. Many instructors are going back to paper. DE instructors have a real problem getting students to complete the online evaluations.
There were additional concerns regarding not having adequate personnel to process the online evaluations and it is taking too long to get them back to the instructors. There is only one person responsible in processing and the amount requires additional support.
Mark gave the group his NFA email address: raulsnfa@gmail.com and indicated concerns could be sent to him there. He finished with encouraging all to attend the upcoming Faculty Senate Meeting following the NFA meeting.
President Lyman stated the proposed NFA survey would go out to all part-time faculty concerning part-time faculty issues and knowledge of NFA. An additional survey for all faculty concerning collective bargaining will go out in the spring. It was reported that there is likely to be additional budget cuts and that NFA will continue to actively lobby against further cuts.
Concerns were brought forth regarding the classified furloughs and eliminated classified positions. Faculty are spending time doing administrative assistant duties and that takes away from doing their own jobs. Classified employees get less pay for working less and faculty get less pay to do more.
President Lyman indicated that we all need to keep track of these type of issues and document as well as continue to track the students that could not enroll. Faculty made comment believing that when they allowed students in their classes above the cap that they were getting money for CSN. President Lyman informed them that that is not correct, that the college was given funds for a set number of students and any above that we do not receive additional support and why faculty should not be going over the cap.
Meeting was adjourned at 12:33PM.