Proposed UC Curtailment Program and Senate Response

Dear Colleagues,

As you may know, in October, a UC systemwide Curtailment Program was proposed. Although our Divisional Senate was only given 14 days to respond to the proposal, we rose to the occasion. The Committee on Privilege and Tenure, the Committee on Committees, the Committee on Academic Information Technology, the Committee on Planning and Budget, the Committee on Campus and Community Environment, the Committee on Preparatory Education, the Committee on Research and the Committee on Diversity and Equity submitted responses, and Senate Council met to discuss a Divisional response. I summarized our collective response in a letter to the UC systemwide Senate Chair Mary Gauvain, and joined other Divisional Senate Chairs in opposing the program at a meeting with President Drake on October 28th.

Today, the program has been announced, and it is clear that the Senate made a difference. The program provides each campus the flexibility to address the current fiscal crisis in the manner most appropriate for that campus, without imposing mandatory curtailment days. Read UC’s Commitment to Preserving Jobs During the Pandemic message from UC President Drake.

Shared governance is strong at UC and at UCSD in particular, thanks to the diligent work of faculty who volunteer their time serving on Senate committees. Your colleagues serving on Senate committees dropped everything to quickly review the proposal and provide input so that the faculty voice was heard. And it was. For that, we owe them a collective thank you.

Stay healthy,

Steven Constable
Chair
Academic Senate, San Diego Division