Meeting with PA AAUP

Today I had the opportunity to meet with representatives from the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Association of University Professors alongside a group of Muhlenberg faculty. I want to share what I am able to from that conversation. Faculty are formally organizing and in the process of documenting everything that occurred before and after Tuesday’s cuts. The AAUP is beginning to draft formal demands to the college. I believe students should be doing the same, and I intend to begin that process. Larry Bomback, our interim CFO, was identified as a primary driver of these cuts. His involvement in the near collapse of Albright College was discussed seriously as a cautionary parallel. Albright nearly closed under decisions he was involved in. The concern that Muhlenberg could follow a similar path is real and was treated as such in our conversation. A critical structural issue was raised regarding the Board of Trustees. President Harring has been a professor and administrator at Muhlenberg for over four decades. The college’s own governance rules require a minimum of 60% of the board to be alumni. This means the board responsible for approving her salary, her bonus, her contract extension, and major financial decisions is largely comprised of people who were her students. That conflict of interest is not incidental. It is written into the governance structure. AAUP is also questioning whether the faculty cuts were retaliatory in nature. The firing of Dr. Finkelstein was raised repeatedly as a point of reference. AAUP provided national coverage to that situation and is now examining whether there are connections between that firing and these cuts. If those threads exist this becomes a significantly larger issue than a budget decision. The most important message I received today was this. Students and Alumni are creating significant pressure on the board and are considered the most powerful voice in getting change made right now. The next step is drafting formal student demands to deliver to the board alongside faculty demands. I also want to see how administration responds to student government at Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting before determining next steps. If these cuts have affected your education, your relationship with this institution, or your decision to remain at Muhlenberg, please share your story. Every voice matters and every story will be heard. Thank you for your continued support and for over 1200 signatures!