Political Action

Dear Colleague,

We want to update you on a number of important issues:

►Course Cancellations for Spring 2018:  We are hearing that there are possibly more course cancellations in departments for the spring of 2018.  Let us know what is happening in your department, and how many fewer sections and/or faculty you may have, and the effects of these (higher course caps, more teaching CAPs or Navitas). 

Dear Colleagues,

We are hearing that many fall classes have been cancelled, including CAPS courses with no input from faculty or departments.   We are also hearing that class sizes are increasing.  Please let us know if this is occurring in your department.  Please let us know if any of these cancelled classes usually fill or are required for the major, and if faculty have been consulted about teaching larger classes (if these have increased).  Departments are supposed to decide courses and course sizes, not the administration. 

Dear Colleagues,

We are thrilled to inform you that all summer courses that were cut by the Administration have now been restored. Departments will once again have primary responsibility over whether or not courses run, not the administration!   Departments themselves have chosen to cancel very few.   (Any courses that do not reach 12 students for undergraduate and 8 for graduate sections will still be subject to cancellation the week before these classes begin, however). 

Rather than defer payment for these courses, instructors will be paid on time. 

Dear Colleague,

•        Please take this survey on how the UMB Budget Cuts are affecting you here:   https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/UMBcuts. 

We will compile and share this information with the UMass Boston community. No individual names or other identifying information will be shared. 

We will use this information along with a coalition of students and unions at UMass Boston to fight budget cuts on this campus.

2/1/17

Today is a national call in day against Secretary of Labor Nominee Puzder. 

Donald Trump’s nominee for Labor Secretary—fast-food CEO Andrew Puzder— made his name opposing meaningful increases to the minimum wage and overtime as he ran a fast food conglomerate.  Puzder will make workplaces worse and place the interests of corporations above the interests of working families.