Tag: finances

Town Hall 4/20 and Our Principles Moving Forward

Our weekly Town Hall will be held on 04/20
from 4pm-5pm, RSVP here.

We will be discussing any new developments in the administration’s request for a raise cut for full-time members for 2020-21.  We will also discuss our list of demands for the administration  that we’ve developed through listening to your questions, concerns and suggestions at our Town Halls, including:

  • the need for Temple to spend its ample reserves to help fill any projected deficit
  •  job security for ALL members, full-time and part-time:  NO LAYOFFS or FURLOUGHS
  •  fair working conditions:  compensation for extra labor, intellectual property protections, and help with childcare/eldercare

We will be discussing these demands with the administration tomorrow afternoon and will be updating you on those conversations and seeking your feedback and ideas.

The demands we are putting forth will ensure that we can offer students the support they will need and deserve in the upcoming academic year.  They will demonstrate that Temple understands and appreciates the extraordinary work that has been done this term. There is no question that the administration has the ability to meet these demands. Librarians, Academic Professionals, and Faculty are the backbone of this university; now, more than ever, Temple’s financial priorities must reflect that they are investing in quality education as a top priority, not austerity.

These town halls are a critical space for information sharing as well as for building power. It has never been more crucial to join together to push back against unfair policies and advocate for fair working conditions and the prioritization of the quality of our students’ education in the midst of this crisis.

Questions and answers from past town halls are being posted here.

Be sure to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.

In Solidarity,

Steve Newman, President

Leanne Finnigan, Vice President

Norma Corrales-Martin, Treasurer

2018-19 Update on Temple’s Finances and Priorities

Temple recently posted  its consolidated financial statement for fiscal year 2018-19.  As in other recent years, the statement shows growth in the last fiscal year in revenue from tuition, grants and contracts, and unrestricted net assets.  Liabilities were stable, and long term debts declined by 2.7%. If we remove patient care from our calculations, since the health system is not part of our bargaining unit, Temple cleared nearly $84 million in revenues over expenses overall (revenues for patient care last year were about $34 million over expenses). It continues to have in excess of $340 million in cash and cash equivalents.

We have tried to discuss Temple’s excellent fiscal situation at the table, but the administration has refused to engage in the conversation. We understand the need for fiscal prudence,  however, without a compelling alternative account of Temple’s finances, we can’t accept the administration’s refusal thus far to move further toward our reasonable proposals on wages and benefits. We cannot accept their insistence  on such large increases in healthcare costs. These proposals indicate the same ongoing disinvestment in faculty, librarians, and academic professionals that places Temple last among other public Research 1 Universities in the proportion of every dollar in tuition and fees they spend on instruction.  We are asking for a long-overdue and modest change in this number and the priorities it reflects.  Temple can do this. 

Like the administration, we want to settle this contract and will work hard to do so.  But as we try to understand their position, they must try to understand ours so that we can arrive at a fair settlement.

Temple Currently Last Among Public Research 1s in Instruction, Part I

Two recent studies from organizations on opposite sides of the political spectrum paint a grim picture of Temple’s investment in instruction.

Studies from the Century Foundation and The American Council of Trustees and Alumni show that Temple’s administration has made spending decisions that have placed the university at or near the bottom of the list of R1 institutions in their investment in instruction.

The administration can choose to hire more tenure track faculty. They can invest in the job security and livelihoods of contingent NTT and adjunct faculty. They can support child care for members of the bargaining unit (and others) and real maternity leave for librarians and academic professionals. They can invest in more hiring and support for women and people of color. And they can do better on many non-financial issues, such as insuring that guidelines for merit are clear, and that SFFs are used responsibly in decisions that affect people’s careers.

These are all proposals that TAUP has put on the table in negotiations with the administration. Decisions are being made, and the faculty, librarians and academic professionals of TAUP are demanding that the university shows that it is investing in the highest quality of education we can offer.

Read through our findings from the Century Foundation report today. Stay tuned for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni report tomorrow.

red light green light can temple do it