No Cuts at MTSU!

MTSU President Sidney McPhee continues to move ahead with plans for major program cuts, outsourcing and layoffs, and other cuts that will have drastic effects on the campus community.

The current cuts being considered include the dismantling of Physics, Philosophy, Geosciences, Criminal Justice, all of which constitutes an attack on the academic core of the University; the closing of a beloved community resource in WMOT Jazz 89 as well as the closing of the June Anderson Woman's Center; and the further outsourcing of more of our campus's hardest working employees.

These cuts have been hastily proposed with minimal justification and despite Governor Bredesen's acceptance of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid meant to offset deep and lasting cuts to the state's education systems, and are being considered prior to a state budget being introduced, let alone passed. Tell me more

Talking Points

*These cuts are being pushed forward despite Governor Bredesen's assertion on Monday, March 9 that the stimulus funds have removed "the need for immediate, strong draconian actions in higher education."

*Program cuts and other reductions in instruction funding hurt the quality of education MTSU is able to provide to our students. The programs that have been proposed for elimination constitute the academic core of the University.

*Outsourcing of key services like house-keeping, building maintenance and operations at the Murphy Center will not provide long term cost-savings to MTSU, but it will do great damage to longtime members of the MTSU campus family currently working these important jobs and the facilities.

* The "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009," also known as the economic stimulus bill, contains "Title XIV- State Fiscal Stabilization Fund", which allocates close to $54 billion in part to prevent massive cuts to education. The stimulus package in general, and the education funds specifically are intended to be a bridge to better economic times and to prevent the further downward spiral in our nation's economy.

* The Thursday, February 19th edition of the Knoxville News Sentinel quoted Governor Bredesen's Finance Commissioner David Goetz as saying, "the federal economic stimulus will provide enough money for higher education in Tennessee to offset two years of budget cuts and eliminate expected cuts next year."

* There are efforts in the legislature to close loopholes in corporate tax reporting, which could generate several hundred million dollars to stave off cuts. And as another area for remedy, the Tennessee's rainy day fund should be used as another "bridge to better times."

* If cuts must be made, efforts should be focused on cutting from the top down. Reductions in pay at the top must occur before program cuts and outsourcing. Administration at some peer institutions in the southeast, including UT, have taken voluntarily reductions in pay to offset job cuts.

Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

Despite Governor Bredesen's assertion that federal aid will eliminate "the need for immediate, strong draconian actions in higher education," recent news reports suggest that MTSU could eliminate several programs and cut dozens of jobs through out-sourcing. Cuts like these will not only harm the quality of education at our university, but they will worsen our state's economic woes.

We know that higher education is immensely important if we are to get our economy back on track. Investments in public higher education are investments in the future of all Tennesseans. Ultimately these investments boost the state's overall economic productivity, and improve Tennessee's economy in the long term. In the present economic climate public higher education institutions are the largest job-creation program that the state has.

Title XIV of the "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" contains the "State Fiscal Stabilization Fund," which is intended to offset massive cuts to higher education.  These funds are not simply "one time monies," Congress clearly intended that they be used as a "bridge to better economic times."  The state must make use of these funds to avoid slashing important programs like Physics, Philosophy, Geosciences and others, or again trying to hide fixed costs through hurtful out-sourcing schemes.

Additionally, efforts to close loopholes in Tennessee corporate tax reporting could generate several hundred million dollars to stave off cuts. Finally, a portion of the state's rainy day fund should also be used as a bridge for better times.

If cuts must be made, efforts should be focused on cutting from the top down. Reductions in pay at the top must occur before reductions in force.  Some peer institutions in the southeast have had top administrators voluntarily take 10-20% reductions in pay to offset cuts in job and instruction.

The infusion of aid from the federal stimulus should allow us some breathing room.  Cuts may ultimately be needed, but in the view of many campus staff, faculty and students these cuts have been hastily proposed with minimal justification.  As both elected state officials from the Middle Tennessee area and campus decision makers at our university, please do all you can by working together in order to stop the cuts to instruction, student life and any further outsourcing at our university!

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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President Sidney McPhee

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