Colleges and universities are working to decide how to address proposed budget cuts to higher education for the 2025 fiscal budget. The cuts stem from Governor Ned Lamont's proposed budget, which does not include any new money for higher education.
In addition, the loss of COVID-19 relief funds which are running out, would negatively impact colleges.
This would leave the University of Connecticut with a potential $70 million deficit in the 2025 fiscal budget. Now, the university is working to fill the void of those cuts. However, those who attend and work for UConn are not pleased with the school's plan.
UConn students, staff, and faculty unions banded together Wednesday to make a statement against a proposed 5-year plan which would include 15 percent reduction across academic programs over the next five years. UConn students said UConn won't be the same if these funds are cut.
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"In general, there will just be a huge decline in the quality of education here at UConn," said Grace Easterly, a history Ph.D. student at UConn and President of the Graduate Employee and Post-Doc Union.
Bigger class sizes, less faculty, a bigger faculty to student ratio, less staff, and more cost for students. These are all things UConn's faculty and staff unions said they fear would happen if the proposed plan is enacted.
“The less staff we have, the less staff we have to support our students. We are everything from technology to counseling services to healthcare to housing. So we will potentially have to close offices or consolidate offices," said Kathy Fisher, President of UConn Professional Employees Association, which is the union for staff members.
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Michael Bailey is the president of the UConn AUP, which is the union for the faculty members.
“To let the Board of Trustees know that we’re not happy with the five year financial plans that the provost and president has put into place," Bailey explained. President calls for her agenda is students first. We see this as damaging the student/faculty relationship.”
The groups said these cuts and the loss of the staff, faculty, and resources because of it could also be the loss of the university's stellar reputation as a world class research university.
“As the provost mentioned at the appropriations hearing, she’s very worried about these cuts and the standing that it’s going to put the university in with it’s community partners, with its peer institutions,” Bailey added.
Some students believed it seems that they care more about upholding the university's reputation and prestige than the board of trustees.
“We really care about this university and we want them to care, too, and these budget cuts are not showing that they care about this university,” Easterly explained.
This group believes UConn should act immediately to amend the cuts.
“We think it’s damaging to the strategic plan. We think it’s damaging to the mission of this university,” Bailey said .
“We need to prioritize the employees because we are in fact those who run the place,” Fischer added.
"We’ll fight for our workers, we’ll fight for our students. This is about putting students first and right now students are being put last," Easterly said.
