In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Louisiana colleges and universities failed to consult faculty members adequately before instituting widespread layoffs and furloughs, according to a report by the Louisiana Conference of the American Association of University Professors.
The report, which was described in a brief statement, cites “a continuing erosion of the principles of shared governance and academic freedom in the statewide public and private academic community that has sharply accelerated in the post-Katrina period.”
The findings were forwarded this week to a special committee of the national AAUP, which is investigating the layoffs and program cuts. That committee got a cold shoulder when it attempted to meet with officials of the colleges (The Chronicle, August 15).
