Media Advisory – April 16, 2004
Contact: Patrick Nowlan
732-445-2278 ext. 20
908-812-0972 (cell)
Rutgers AAUP to sponsor Teach-In to educate and unify the campus community.
On Wednesday, April 21, 2004, the faculty union at Rutgers University will sponsor an all-day Teach-In titled "Reclaiming Rutgers: Challenging the (Misguided) Priorities of the Modern University". The program will begin with a press conference at 10am to highlight the current status of contract negotiations for New Jersey state workers and Rutgers employees.
Other programs on the agenda will deal with the "Battle for Graduate Employee Rights", the "Corporatization of the University", and "The Crisis in Funding of Higher Education." Graduate students are expected from Columbia University, Yale University, and the University of Pennsylvania to highlight their current struggles to win recognition of their employee organizations. Another key highlight of the day will be the increasing use of part-time or contingent faculty on university campuses and their efforts to achieve equity.
Dr. Roger Bowen, the incoming General Secretary of the American Association of University Professors, will be a distinguished guest speaker in the morning.
The event will be held in conjunction with "Tent State University". The day will end with discussions of various campaigns on campus that faculty, students and staff can become involved in.
Rutgers faculty, part-time lecturers, and teaching/graduate assistants have been working without a contract for the entire academic year.
Teach-In
"Reclaiming Rutgers:
Challenging the (Misguided) Priorities
of the Modern University"
10:00 a.m.
"Collective Bargaining in a Public Setting" – A panel of union leaders will give updates on the status of negotiations with the State of New Jersey and Rutgers University.
10:40 a.m.
Distinguished Guest Speaker: Roger Bowen, incoming General Secretary of the American Association of University Professors
11:30 a.m.
"The Battle for Graduate Employee Rights" – Gordon Lafer, University of Oregon; Joan Moriarty, Cornell University; representatives from Yale, Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania
12:45 p.m. – Lunch, Music and Discussion
1:10 p.m.
"The Crisis in funding Higher Education" – Adolph Reed, New School University; Ajita Talwalker (invited), United States Student Association; representatives from Tent State University
2:50 p.m.
"The Corporatization of the University" – Jackson Lears, Rutgers History Department; Richard Moser, National AAUP; Stanley Aronowitz, CUNY
4:30 p.m.
"Next Steps and Plans for Action" – A panel will discuss how students, faculty, and staff can be involved in various campaigns on campus.