A Note on the Strategic Plan's Fiscal Benchmarks
August 28, 2017
The new strategic plan for Rider University has been completed and approved by Rider’s Board of Trustees. As a whole, we believe it is completely disconnected from the current reality of the relationship between faculty and Administration, a relationship that is a direct consequence of Administration actions over the past two years.
However, what is most surprising in this document is in the section titled “Strategic Theme: The strategic cultivation, management and investment of our resources.” This section identifies a financial benchmark as follows.
This benchmark is in stark contrast to the ever increasing demands of Administration in our negotiations this past year. Currently, Administration is demanding approximately $9 million in annual concessions from Rider faculty by 2019, yet the board approved “strategic plan” for the University states that $3 to 4 million in savings are needed by FY 2019.
So Administration is currently demanding $6 million over the Board of Trustees approved savings for the entire University, and they are demanding those savings entirely from faculty.
The fact of the matter is that the AAUP has already offered savings in excess of the $3 to 4 million identified in the benchmark and yet the administration demands more. We question whether this is simply about creating a crisis as part of a year long effort of regressive bargaining with a goal to simply break the union.
We believe the future of Rider is dependent on a collaboration between faculty and Administration. That collaboration begins with an honest and accurate evaluation of Rider’s fiscal state. Rider's faculty has made sacrifices and has indicated a willingness to make reasonable sacrifices as a response to Rider's fiscal situation.
August 28, 2017
The new strategic plan for Rider University has been completed and approved by Rider’s Board of Trustees. As a whole, we believe it is completely disconnected from the current reality of the relationship between faculty and Administration, a relationship that is a direct consequence of Administration actions over the past two years.
However, what is most surprising in this document is in the section titled “Strategic Theme: The strategic cultivation, management and investment of our resources.” This section identifies a financial benchmark as follows.
- Annual operating savings of $3 to $4 million will be achieved by fiscal 2019 and another $5 to $6 million no later than fiscal 2022.
This benchmark is in stark contrast to the ever increasing demands of Administration in our negotiations this past year. Currently, Administration is demanding approximately $9 million in annual concessions from Rider faculty by 2019, yet the board approved “strategic plan” for the University states that $3 to 4 million in savings are needed by FY 2019.
So Administration is currently demanding $6 million over the Board of Trustees approved savings for the entire University, and they are demanding those savings entirely from faculty.
The fact of the matter is that the AAUP has already offered savings in excess of the $3 to 4 million identified in the benchmark and yet the administration demands more. We question whether this is simply about creating a crisis as part of a year long effort of regressive bargaining with a goal to simply break the union.
We believe the future of Rider is dependent on a collaboration between faculty and Administration. That collaboration begins with an honest and accurate evaluation of Rider’s fiscal state. Rider's faculty has made sacrifices and has indicated a willingness to make reasonable sacrifices as a response to Rider's fiscal situation.
