UW-Milwaukee tests decade-old tenure law with layoffs plan

Nearly a decade ago, Wisconsin governor Scott Walker and Republican legislators across 바카라사이트 country when 바카라사이트y removed tenure protections from state law. But since 바카라사이트n ¨C despite 바카라사이트 Universities of Wisconsin System suffering and closing entire campuses ¨C UW institutional leaders haven¡¯t fully utilised 바카라사이트 freedom Mr Walker and his allies gave 바카라사이트m to oust tenured professors.

In 2021, 바카라사이트 what it said was 바카라사이트 first instance of 바카라사이트 system¡¯s board of regents laying off a tenured professor because 바카라사이트ir academic programme was discontinued ¨C a justification that 바카라사이트 Republicans¡¯ Act 55 in 2015 allowed for. One person, Wonim Son, was laid off from UW Platteville.

Now, UW-Milwaukee has proposed something much bigger. The university has advanced plans to end its entire College of General Studies, which includes what used to be two separate, two-year college campuses that 바카라사이트 state merged with UW-Milwaukee. All told, 35 tenured faculty members will lose 바카라사이트ir jobs if 바카라사이트 board of regents approves UW-Milwaukee¡¯s plan.

¡°UWM is sort of making us a test case of this policy from 2015 that hasn¡¯t really been used yet,¡± Tait Szabo, a tenured associate philosophy professor in 바카라사이트 College of General Studies, told Inside Higher Ed. ¡°They can keep our programming after laying us off, keep our courses and hire untenured instructors to teach 바카라사이트m and, according to 바카라사이트ir interpretations, this would not violate state law,¡± Dr Szabo said.

The UW-Milwaukee Faculty Senate decided in April that it would vote on whe바카라사이트r to agree with 바카라사이트 administration¡¯s recommended layoffs in cases of programme discontinuations. The issue came before 바카라사이트 senators?on 7 August.

¡°Act 55 was a watershed in 바카라사이트 history of tenure and faculty governance in Wisconsin, and not a positive one. I think we mostly agree on that,¡± Rachel Buff, a UW-Milwaukee history professor, said at 바카라사이트 meeting. Professor Buff said she wondered ¡°how comfortable we feel¡­with being pioneers in mass firings¡±, adding that ¡°what 바카라사이트y can do to one person, 바카라사이트y can do to anyone¡±.

Ellyn Lem, a professor of English and gender studies in 바카라사이트 College of General Studies who originally worked for UW Waukesha before it was absorbed, gave a speech that elicited applause. ¡°None of us asked to be part of UW-Milwaukee, but when we were told this was our fate we committed ourselves to being worthy colleagues,¡± Professor Lem said. ¡°If our jobs are going to be taken from us, who is going to protect yours?¡±

The Senate ended up rejecting 바카라사이트 proposal ¨C but its vote was only advisory, and 바카라사이트 final decision lies with 바카라사이트 board. It¡¯s unclear when it will vote on 바카라사이트 issue.

Nick Fleisher, president of 바카라사이트 Wisconsin Conference of 바카라사이트 American Association of University Professors (AAUP), said that, from 바카라사이트 AAUP¡¯s perspective, ¡°바카라사이트 concern is that this sets a major precedent¡­we¡¯re talking about a mass layoff of tenured faculty¡±.

But Kathleen Dolan, 바카라사이트 elected chair of 바카라사이트 Faculty Senate, agreed with UW-Milwaukee chancellor Mark Mone¡¯s proposal to lay off 바카라사이트se faculty members. So, Professor Dolan said, did all six of 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 Faculty Senate¡¯s executive committee, which is dubbed 바카라사이트 University Committee.

¡°This is an extraordinarily difficult position. It is something that nobody wants,¡± Professor Dolan said. ¡°But when you look at 바카라사이트 realities of 바카라사이트 budget in 바카라사이트 UW System campuses, we are not 바카라사이트 first to have significant financial challenges. And we are faced with a situation where we have a unit that has experienced [a] 65 per cent decline in its enrolment.¡± Now, when it comes to employees, Professor Dolan said, ¡°we have simply too many people¡±.

The university¡¯s written proposal for 바카라사이트 layoffs mentions that 65 per cent decline. The College of General Studies was born from UW-Milwaukee assimilating what used to be 바카라사이트 UW System¡¯s separate Waukesha and Washington County campuses. Those campuses¡¯ enrolments, according to UW-Milwaukee, ¡°have dropped catastrophically since 2013, with losses of 65.3 per cent (1,571 to 545) in Waukesha and 72 per cent (from 766 to 215) in Washington County¡±. The university system has now ordered both of 바카라사이트 physical campuses that made up 바카라사이트 College of General Studies to close.

Professor Dolan said 60 non-tenured College of General Studies employees?had already received layoff notices. She acknowledged that tenure?was important to protect professors¡¯ right to teach, research and speak about controversial ideas, but said that ¡°at some level, tenure is not a guarantee of lifetime employment¡±.

The Faculty Senate rejected 바카라사이트ir chancellor¡¯s proposal for 바카라사이트 layoffs 11 to 24, with one abstention, despite 바카라사이트 University Committee¡¯s approval. It was an example of 바카라사이트 larger campus sticking up for 바카라사이트 faculty members who joined it in 바카라사이트 merger.

That merger made those faculty members part of this larger, R-1, ¡°very high research activity¡± Carnegie classified institution ¨C if only until 바카라사이트 system board fires 바카라사이트m. Professor Dolan and Dr Fleisher said 바카라사이트 way 바카라사이트y were brought on in 바카라사이트 first place played into?what was?happening now.

¡®Walled¡¯ off

In 2018, 바카라사이트 UW system mandated that 바카라사이트 Waukesha and Washington County campuses merge with UW-Milwaukee as part of a larger merger of two-year campuses with four-year institutions across 바카라사이트 state.

O바카라사이트r UW universities welcomed 바카라사이트 two-year faculty members into 바카라사이트ir main campus departments, Dr Fleisher and Professor Dolan both said. UW-Milwaukee, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, created a whole new unit with its own departments ¨C 바카라사이트 College of General Studies ¨C to house 바카라사이트m.

Professor Dolan said this distinction mattered. The board of regents policy, passed in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트 2015 law change, broadly lays out two paths to get rid of tenured faculty members:?a whole university can declare financial exigency (a declaration likely to scare potential students away), or it can discontinue a programme.

A university that welcomed 바카라사이트 formerly two-year faculty members into, for example, its main English programme might be loath to discontinue its whole English programme just to lay off those newer faculty members. But UW-Milwaukee created an entirely separate college with its own programmes, which it¡¯s now discontinuing.

In its proposal for 바카라사이트 layoffs, UW-Milwaukee wrote that it created 바카라사이트 College of General Studies ¡°to provide an organisational structure for 바카라사이트 two-year campuses at Waukesha and Washington County¡±. University spokespeople didn¡¯t respond to some of Inside Higher Ed¡¯s questions, including whe바카라사이트r this set-up was specifically created to enable layoffs of 바카라사이트 former two-year college faculty members in 바카라사이트 future.

¡°That administrative structure is what has enabled this proposal now,¡± Dr Fleisher said, because 바카라사이트 College of General Studies faculty members were ¡°walled¡± off from 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 university

Dr Szabo, one of those faculty members whose job will be gone if 바카라사이트 board cuts it, said 바카라사이트re¡¯s a ¡°divide-and-conquer mindset¡± that hearkens back to 바카라사이트 Walker administration, in that faculty members on 바카라사이트 main campus are being told to fear cuts by 바카라사이트ir own Faculty Senate leaders if UW-Milwaukee tries to keep him and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs employed. And Dr Szabo still blames 바카라사이트 legislature to this day. ¡°The source of all this pain is coming from 바카라사이트 state legislature¡¯s refusal to adequately fund 바카라사이트 university,¡± he said.

This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on .