On August 1, Together4PSU* sent a letter to Dr. Ann Cudd welcoming her to the campus and outlining our hopes for creating a bright future at PSU. Please find the letter below.
* Together4PSU is a coalition of Portland State's four campus labor unions: PSUFA, SEIU, PSU-AAUP and GEU.
August 1, 2023
Dear President Cudd,
As representatives of the campus labor unions comprised of part-time faculty, full-time faculty, academic professionals, graduate employees, and classified staff we would like to welcome you again to Portland State University.
We are immensely proud of PSU’s history in this city, especially its commitment to the local community and the city itself. We are looking forward to developing a relationship with you and your administration that positively benefits our students and remains focused on the University’s teaching, research, and service missions.
We truly believe that a collaborative approach goes two ways and involves all key campus stakeholders from the beginning of decision-making processes, is the only way to find the best solutions to our challenges.
We also believe that PSU’s best days are yet to come if we take the decisive steps that are necessary to reinvest in students and campus workers. This means re-prioritizing budgetary expenditures on student-facing personnel and services. Without this budgetary investment in workers, we cannot support and retain students in the way they need and deserve to succeed in their academic careers and lives after graduation.
We are certain that, working together, we can create a bright future for PSU for the benefit of our students and the community at large.
To achieve that collaboration, we are asking you today for:
- allyship in supporting the need for significant, direct investment in our students health, well-being, and educational opportunities;
- a commitment to investing significant resources in student-facing staff and faculty positions, which are at the fore of student retention and support; and
- a scheduled, quarterly meeting between you and representatives of PSUFA, GEU, SEIU, and PSU-AAUP in order to maintain open, frank dialogue on key issues.
As you begin your Presidency we look forward to scheduling both informal and formal conversations with you so that you may get to know us–those of us “on the ground” who work every day on behalf of our students–and so that we may begin conversations about how to make a reinvestment in our community a reality.
We look forward to scheduling these formal and informal conversations with you. Please let us know how we can get on your schedule at a time that works for all parties involved.
Sincerely,
Together4PSU
a union coalition of SEIU, PSUFA, GEU, and PSU-AAUP