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<p class="MsoNormal">Dear CALES Faculty,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We want to share with you a summary of a special Faculty Senate meeting that was held yesterday (<b>Monday, Feb 19, from 3-5 pm</b>) via Zoom. Please see the live recording
<a href="https://arizona.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=a4fd1650-a53e-47a2-9ef7-b11c0022c94c">
here</a>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Faculty Senate Chair Dr. Leila Hudson and Dr. Gary Rhodes, chair of the General Faculty Financial Recalibration Committee (GFFRC), provided critical insights into the challenges facing the University of Arizona, focusing on proposed legislative
changes and financial management issues. Chair Hudson expressed deep concerns about House Bill 2735, which seeks to alter the university's governance structure by diminishing faculty involvement in academic oversight and centralizing decision-making authority
with the AZ Board of Regents and university presidents. According to Chair Hudson and many faculty senators, this bill misinterprets faculty's essential role in university governance and threatens the principles of shared governance, which are crucial for
maintaining academic freedom and educational quality.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Providing a slide deck of his report [<a href="https://facultygovernance.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/2024-02/February%20GFFRC%20Deck%20-%2002.28.%20V3%5B99%5D.pdf">GFFREC Recommendations</a>], Dr. Gary Rhoades, leading the General Faculty
Financial Recalibration Committee, discussed the committee's efforts to address financial mismanagement and advocated for fiscal discipline and targeted cuts over across-the-board reductions. He emphasized the negative impacts of central administration's overspending
and the lack of expenditure controls, which have adversely affected academic units. Rhodes called for a more strategic approach to financial decisions, stressing the need to realistically assess investment returns and manage financial risks, particularly concerning
athletics and UAGC. He urged for a focus on prioritizing academic units and protecting vulnerable employees from potential budget cuts, proposing a systematic reduction in senior administrative costs to foster a more financially responsible and academically
focused university environment. <b>We encourage you all to listen to the presentation as it counters the continued approach and narrative of Central Administration.<o:p></o:p></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Finally, there was a brief discussion of possible Conflicts of Interest (COI) related to ABOR regents. When we have more information, we will let you know.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As always, please feel free to reach out to us via email or our anonymous Qualtrics survey (<a href="https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4vcRICRZwxfebc">https://uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a4vcRICRZwxfebc</a>)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Best,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Bobby, Katie & Tim<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Robert M. Torres</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">, PhD<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Neely Family Endowed Professor<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Roger & Nancy Huber Eminent Faculty Scholar<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Arid Lands Resource Sciences, Associated Faculty<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Vice President, <a href="https://www.acteonline.org/">
<span style="color:#0563C1">Association for Career & Technical Education</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Fellow, <a href="https://fsli.org/">
<span style="color:#0563C1">Food Systems Leadership Institute</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Fellow, <a href="http://aaaeonline.org/">
<span style="color:#0563C1">American Association for Agricultural Education</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Fellow, <a href="https://compass.arizona.edu/cardon-academy">
<span style="color:#0563C1">The Bart Cardon Academy for Teaching Excellence</span></a>, CALS<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://aed.cals.arizona.edu/"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none"><img border="0" width="366" height="50" style="width:3.8166in;height:.525in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01DA6495.A7C08E10"></span></a><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">205 Saguaro Hall | 1110 E. South Campus Dr. | Tucson, Az, 85721
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ligatures:none">Telephone: 520-621-1523 | Email:
<a href="mailto:rtorres1@email.arizona.edu"><span style="color:#0563C1">rtorres1@arizona.edu</span></a></span><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-ligatures:none">The University of Arizona is designated a
<a href="https://sites.ed.gov/hispanic-initiative/hispanic-serving-institutions-hsis/">
<span style="color:#0563C1">Hispanic-Serving Institution</span></a> that resides on the
<a href="http://www.tonation-nsn.gov/history-culture/"><span style="color:#0563C1">Tohono O'odham</span></a> people’s traditional territory</span></i><span style="mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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