As the governor and legislators negotiate a state budget, NYSUT is lobbying hard to ensure that New York's public higher education system gets the funding it needs to address full-time faculty shortages, ballooning class sizes, and other pressing areas of concern.
Last year, the Legislature made an historic commitment to public higher education, reversing more than a decade of funding cuts that forced the State University of New York, City University of New York, and public community colleges to eliminate faculty positions, increase class sizes and reduce class offerings. NYSUT has been pressing the Legislature to honor New York's promise to students of a quality public higher education system by providing much-needed funding enhancements public colleges require to meet the needs of their burgeoning student populations.
NYSUT higher ed affiliates have been active in delivering the message to the governor and state legislators as well. United University Professions and the Professional Staff Congress, which represent NYSUT members at SUNY and CUNY, respectively, have launched advertising campaigns demonstrating the impact of funding cuts and encouraging legislators to ensure SUNY and CUNY receive adequate funding for more full-time faculty lines, smaller class sizes, and various other improvements. Unionists from UUP, PSC and New York's public community colleges were on hand for a NYSUT-sponsored lobby day in late February, where they brought their concerns directly to legislators.