Re: the July 7 article "Why I support UA President Robbins' campus plan."
AZ Regent DuVal’s defense of UA President Robbins’ financial plan is predictable. At least two of his claims, however, are demonstrably false. First, the UA's financial challenges are no greater than those of our peers, but our furloughs/pay cuts are far worse, as CFO Lisa Rulney acknowledged in a 7/1/20 email to university employees. As a UA professor of Higher Education who studies university restructuring, I wonder #WhyJustUA, as does the Coalition for Academic Justice, UA. A collaborative review of data will reveal clearer answers and better solutions to problems that include over-discounting tuition mistakes for which we continue to pay. Second, contrary to Regent DuVal's claims, universities can borrow to address COVID-related operational challenges (bonds may be restricted to capital projects in AZ, but there are other forms of leveraging/borrowing/refinancing). That is what universities nationally are doing. UA needs a more comprehensive financial plan that recalibrates extreme furloughs and does not liquidate colleges' reserves, better serving the university now and tomorrow.
Gary Rhoades
Foothills
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
