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State budget info, stipends for developing online courses, and other news from the FSU

4/10/2020

Dear Colleague,

I hope you are safe and well given the coronavirus pandemic.  Here is an update. 

►The financial outlook for UMB:  Many people are asking about budget cuts.  If these occur, this will be from cuts from the state budget and/or declining enrollments.  The university does not have a picture of enrollments for the fall yet. 

  • For the state budget, there will be a live-stream hearing to get a consensus revenue figure for the budget process, which will affect monies allocated, including to higher education, this Tuesday, April 14th at 10 am at the State House (remotely) that you can watch https://malegislature.gov/Events/SpecialEvents/Detail/351
  • It is unclear if there will be a State budget by July 1, if the State will continue the current budget month to month for a while before passing a budget, if it will reconvene in September to pass a budget, or what will occur.   
  • In addition, legislation passed by the federal government is estimated to provide approximately $130 million to public higher education in Massachusetts, including an estimated $18 million to UMB.  Half of this money needs to go to students. Details are still being worked out by the Department of Education.  For more on this, see here:  

► Teaching online The FSU contract requires that a $3000 stipend be paid to faculty members who develop online courses. This stipend would applies to newly-developed courses as well as courses converted from in-person to the online modality (NOTE: this does not apply to Spring 2020 courses per the terms of the pending coronavirus impact bargaining agreement; see here for the latest).  You retain intellectual property rights and receive royalties should anyone else teach this course.  The relevant language can be seen in Article 35 of the contract (there is also a department level online option as well that is negotiated with the FSU; for more information, see Article 35 here):

For FSU/MTA Members in Good Standing

►Retirement counseling from the MTA.  Sessions are available by phone or online to help members decide the best time to retire, determine if you have buy-back opportunities, provide information on retiree health insurance, Medicare and Social Security benefits, and answer many other questions. Please see here for more information and to schedule an appointment (please have online access during the call).  In addition, those moving from ORP to MSRB should consider making liquid TIAA annuity assets pay off service purchased and related costs.  Contact Ed McCourt directly for this information (see his contact information on the link above).   

►MTA Annual Meeting: Given the coronavirus, the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) Annual Meeting will now be held virtually on Saturday, May 2 from 9-12 noon.  The meeting will be expedited with 3 optional pre-meetings (to hear candidate speeches and discuss the MTA budget) ahead of time.  Let us know by April 27 (extended from the previous date) if you want to be a delegate to this meeting.  This in an election year for MTA President and Vice President, so we are seeking to fill our slate of delegates. 

►FSU Annual Meeting: Thursday, April 30th, 9-11 am; this will be virtual. More information to come.

Sincerely,

Marlene Kim

FSU President

Professor, Economics

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