Faculty Solidarity Statement & Call for Refocus on Academic Mission

College and University Administrations, Ohio's State and Federal Lawmakers, ODHE Chancellor

Add your name to this statement that we will share widely with Ohio higher education decision-makers. In these moments of uncertainty, Ohio faculty must show solidarity with each other and be advocates for quality higher education.

To: College and University Administrations, Ohio's State and Federal Lawmakers, ODHE Chancellor
From: [Your Name]

College and university faculty are the heart and soul of Ohio's institutions of higher education. Whether a graduate student, adjunct, full-time non-tenured, or full-time tenured/tenure-track, each faculty member plays a key role in educating students and providing critical research.

While contingent faculty may not have the same protections afforded to those faculty with tenure, it does not make them any less essential to the academic missions of our institutions. And in these uncertain times, no faculty members are "safe."

We are keenly aware of the disruptions caused by COVID-19 and their immediate and projected impacts on college and university budgets. This is an unsettling time for higher education. The decisions that will be made in the short-term will have long-term consequences.

Our colleges and universities must take this opportunity to refocus on the instructional and research missions of our institutions. For decades, too many resources have been spent on endeavors peripheral to the core mission.

There must be shared sacrifice. We cannot accept faculty furloughs, program eliminations, and other cuts that gut academics while administration, athletics, and other auxiliary ventures go unscathed. We applaud those institutions that have asked for shared sacrifice starting at the top.

Ohio's institutions of higher education are the entities training the healthcare workers that are on the front lines of the pandemic, and they are the entities that will be there for other workers looking for a new degree and new skills during the economic recovery. While higher education may seem like a luxury to some in these troubling times, it cannot be treated as an afterthought given the role it has played and will continue to play in our healthcare system and economy.

Now is the time: for faculty to come together to support each other; for institutions to refocus resources on the academic mission; and for our government leaders to make sure Ohio's institutions are well-positioned to continue providing quality education now and in the future.