On Wednesday, January 31, 2024, Gallaudet University released President Cordano’s pre-recorded State of the University address. In it, she emphasized the importance of communication in the Gallaudet community. However, the same day, faculty and staff who purchased food and drink on campus were told that the longstanding 10% employee discount had been terminated. There had been no communication from the administration that this would happen, much less a rationale. [We address the staff layoffs that also happened that week in our Feb. 12 Open Letter].
More than a week later, on Thursday, Feb. 8, Campus Services sent a message to the campus community via myGU, stating “In our excitement to build out the Bison Bucks program for the community, we made a misstep and apologize for any inconvenience. In light of this misstep, we’re pushing back the timeline for the new transition.” It announces that beginning June 1, dining discounts will be available, but only for purchases made using Bison Bucks.
Unexpectedly higher prices are more than an “inconvenience” for employees on tight budgets. Our employees have not been receiving regular cost-of-living adjustments or pay increases since 2010, and our faculty are among the lowest-paid in Washington, DC.
The Gallaudet University Chapter of the AAUP requests that the administration provide its employees with an explanation for why the now-rolled-back change was implemented without advance communication and before the Bison Bucks program was ready. In our previous Open Letters, our AAUP chapter has repeatedly asked administrators for the transparency and accountability expected in a functioning shared governance system.
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The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) defends academic freedom, promotes shared governance, and advances the economic security of faculty. The Gallaudet AAUP chapter is a member of Local 6741 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO.
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