Rutgers Board of Governors discuss U. labor negotiations, budget deficit

Yesterday, the Rutgers Board of Governors held its bimonthly meeting to discuss University affairs at Winants Hall on the College Avenue campus.

The meeting, which began at noon, first entered a closed session for approximately 1 hour, where board members discussed internal University affairs.

University President Jonathan Holloway then opened the public session and spoke about the ongoing contract negotiations between the University and its labor unions. 

He said he hopes to amend the disagreements between the administration and the labor unions in order to maintain the work done at the University.

"Resolving our differences enables us all once again to focus on the academic enterprise that is the heart of the University," Holloway said.

Before the meeting and during the closed session, the members and supporters of the Rutgers American Association of University Professors and American Federation of Teachers (AAUP-AFT), the Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union (PTLFC) and the American Association of University Professors at the Biomedical and Health Sciences of New Jersey (AAUP–BHSNJ) picketed outside of Winants Hall.

On Wednesday, the three unions released a statement discussing the logistics of yesterday's picket line. The unions also put out a separate statement explaining their progress in the contract negotiation process and maintaining that there is still work to be done to reach a full contract.

In addition to speaking on labor contract negotiations, Holloway mentioned that the University will likely remain at a budgetary deficit for the next fiscal year, according to budget reports from Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration and University Treasurer J. Michael Gower.

Regarding enrollment, Holloway said first-year and transfer student enrollment across the University's three regional campuses has increased in comparison to this time last year.

After Holloway's speech, the Committee on Academic and Student Affairs gave remarks regarding honorary degrees and voted to honor recipients with these degrees.

The board also established a new Data Science major for the School of Arts and Sciences in addition to title changes for graduate-level degree programs in the Department of Women's and Gender Studies.

Several other committees on finance, audit, health and college athletics also gave remarks, and the meeting ended with a report from the University Senate.