Tag Archives: commonwealth appropriations

Owls on the Hill Day changes to email only

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Administrators announced on Wednesday that Owls on the Hill Day would be cancelled and instead students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff are being asked to electronically submit personal letters to lawmakers advocating for Temple’s state appropriations.

Andrew McGinley, public affairs and policy manager, said that many of the students who wanted to go were unable to because of the event’s proximity to final exams. The annual Cherry and White Week events were planned for a later date than is typical in the past due to scheduling conflicts at the State Capitol building, McGinley said.

The previous two years’ Cherry and White weeks were held in late March.

“The scheduling is beyond our control,” McGinley said. “It’s based on space availability in the Capitol Building. We use a lot of space during that week and there’s lots of other unions and charities and other groups that also want space in the capitol building. So it got pushed back.”

Other Cherry and White Week events include an academic presentation in Harrisburg by the Institute for Public Affairs, followed by art and music students as well as researchers presenting to lawmakers. These events will still be held on April 28 and 30, respectively. Owls on the Hill Day was originally planned to have students personally meet with lawmakers on April 29 to lobby for state appropriations.

McGinley said the letters don’t need to be long or formal, just personal.

“Elected officials want to hear from constituents,” McGinely said. “This year we’re asking people to just write a note…[It will be] via email. It will go through our system so they [those writing to legislators] don’t have to look up emails. Its very quick and simple.”

McGinley said the switch is not expected to be a permanent decision.

Marcus McCarthy can be reached at marcus.mccarthy@temple.edu or on Twitter at @marcusmccarthy6.

Under contract, salaries of unionized professionals to rise 2 percent

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Although the university has implemented a series of cost-saving and revenue-increasing actions to make up for the decrease in state appropriations, some university employees will walk away with a more generous pay check this year.

Under the current contract between the Temple Association of University Professionals and the university, all represented faculty, librarians and academic professionals will receive a 2 percent increase in salary.

The represented members also received a 2 percent increase in July 2009 and July 2010, as per the collective bargaining agreement in effect.

As for non-unionized professionals, a salary freeze was instituted by President Hart in April.

President Hart talks pay and travel freezes, financial decisions

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President Ann Weaver Hart released an announcement today outlining budget preparations the university is making as it braces itself for drastic cuts in commonwealth appropriation for the upcoming 2011-12 fiscal year.

Acknowledging that Temple cannot deal with the cuts solely through tuition increases, Hart announced a freeze to non-union salaries at the FY 2011 level, a university-wide hiring freeze and restriction on travel, examination of personnel’s benefits package to reduce its cost and consolidation of administrative positions throughout the university.

Dean searches for the Tyler School of Art, the School of Communications and Theatre, the College of Education, the College of Health Professions and Social Work and University Libraries will also be suspended, meaning there will be some shuffling of positions to fill the vacant leadership.

“Our collective commitment to Temple’s current and future students remains steadfast,” Hart said in the statement, “and the guiding principle of keeping the highest quality education within reach of middle- and working-class students and their families will continue to direct our budgeting efforts.”

Hart said the university is also looking for other ways to cut costs. What do you recommend? Do you find the solutions the administration is offering now will be effective?