Dublin Core
Title
Dean Peter March to Faculty: Fuck You!
Subject
Dean Peter March's Response to SAS Oct 15, 2020 Faculty Resolution
Description
Dean Peter March's Response to SAS Oct 15, 2020 Faculty Resolution. March dismissed the faculty resolution and resolved to proceed with eliminating faculty positions and reducing Rutgers course offerings in New Brunswick during the pandemic. March attests that he has the support of the Rutgers administration in this matter, up to and including President Jonathan Holloway.
Creator
Peter March
Publisher
Audrey Truschke
Date
October 22, 2020
Language
English
Coverage
New Brunswick, NJ
Email Item Type Metadata
Email Body
Dear Colleagues,
COVID continues to impact SAS and Rutgers in many ways, including this year’s budget. The pandemic has put us in a very difficult position where we must find a way to use diminished resources to support our traditional missions of teaching, research, and service. Faculty concern about part of the SAS strategy to deal with this year’s budget resulted in passage of the SAS Faculty Resolution on Layoffs and Cuts, Oct. 15, 2020.
I write to convey my decision not to act on the terms of the resolution and share my reasoning with you.
Every dean has a fiduciary responsibility to advance their school’s mission within a budget approved by the Board of Governors. The approved SAS FY 2021 budget has a deficit of approximately $9M if state funding to SAS is fully restored. The approved budget is predicated on the range of steps outlined in my letter of September 30, including elimination of some staff positions and reduction of employment opportunities for some part-time lecturers.
In developing a strategy to deal with the deficit, I consulted regularly with department chairs and program directors, the Executive Committee, and school deans. I benefitted greatly from their ideas and input. I think this level of on-going faculty engagement on budget matters is both appropriate and sufficient.
Before sending this message, I discussed my decision not to act on the terms of the resolution with the Chancellor, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President. Please know that I conveyed to them how the budget strategy was formulated, the passion and arguments that faculty advanced in support of the resolution, and the reasoning behind my decision.
This was an extremely difficult decision to make. I assure you it was not taken lightly or rashly but thoughtfully and advisedly. As I said at the faculty meeting, there are no easy solutions or painless decisions. While I am grateful for the leadership demonstrated by chairs, directors, and deans in SAS over the past several months, please know that responsibility for implementing the strategy rests only with me.
Sincerely,
Peter March
COVID continues to impact SAS and Rutgers in many ways, including this year’s budget. The pandemic has put us in a very difficult position where we must find a way to use diminished resources to support our traditional missions of teaching, research, and service. Faculty concern about part of the SAS strategy to deal with this year’s budget resulted in passage of the SAS Faculty Resolution on Layoffs and Cuts, Oct. 15, 2020.
I write to convey my decision not to act on the terms of the resolution and share my reasoning with you.
Every dean has a fiduciary responsibility to advance their school’s mission within a budget approved by the Board of Governors. The approved SAS FY 2021 budget has a deficit of approximately $9M if state funding to SAS is fully restored. The approved budget is predicated on the range of steps outlined in my letter of September 30, including elimination of some staff positions and reduction of employment opportunities for some part-time lecturers.
In developing a strategy to deal with the deficit, I consulted regularly with department chairs and program directors, the Executive Committee, and school deans. I benefitted greatly from their ideas and input. I think this level of on-going faculty engagement on budget matters is both appropriate and sufficient.
Before sending this message, I discussed my decision not to act on the terms of the resolution with the Chancellor, the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and the President. Please know that I conveyed to them how the budget strategy was formulated, the passion and arguments that faculty advanced in support of the resolution, and the reasoning behind my decision.
This was an extremely difficult decision to make. I assure you it was not taken lightly or rashly but thoughtfully and advisedly. As I said at the faculty meeting, there are no easy solutions or painless decisions. While I am grateful for the leadership demonstrated by chairs, directors, and deans in SAS over the past several months, please know that responsibility for implementing the strategy rests only with me.
Sincerely,
Peter March
Subject Line
Response to Resolution
From
SAS-Assist-To-Chair <sas-assist-to-chair-bounces@lists.sas.rutgers.edu> on behalf of Office of the Executive Dean <oed@sas.rutgers.edu>
To
sas-all-faculty@lists.sas.rutgers.edu <sas-all-faculty@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-affiliates@lists.sas.rutgers.edu <sas-affiliates@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-ptl@lists.sas.rutgers.edu <sas-ptl@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-chairs-announce@lists.sas.rutgers.edu <sas-chairs-announce@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-annuals-teaching (sas-annuals-teaching@lists.sas.rutgers.edu) <sas-annuals-teaching@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-annuals-research (sas-annuals-research@lists.sas.rutgers.edu) <sas-annuals-research@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>
CC
sas-senior-staff <sas-senior-staff@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-assist-to-chair <sas-assist-to-chair@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>; sas-assist-to-senior-staff@lists.sas.rutgers.edu <sas-assist-to-senior-staff@lists.sas.rutgers.edu>