Adjuncts and Contingents Together

With the Super Bowl coming up we thought we’d share some not so super facts about the University of Phoenix:

• Each year, the number of dropouts from the University of Phoenix could fill more than five Super Bowl XLIX stadiums. These students are left with crippling student loan debt and no credentials to show for it.
• Students who have defaulted on their loans after leaving the University of Phoenix between 2009 and 2011 could fill more than two Super Bowl XLIX stadiums.
• With the money spent on naming rights to the Cardinals’ stadium and annual marketing and recruiting costs, the University of Phoenix could purchase all
• Each Super Bowl XLIX quarter, student debt for University of Phoenix graduates will increase by $540,000. $2.5 million in student debt will have amassed by the end of the game.*

What to do? Take them on by demanding that for-profit students get the education they deserve from University of Phoenix and other for-profit schools. Visit sellingoutstudents.org and sign the petition now.

*Want more facts? Click here for more information and sourcing.

On January 20, during his State of the Union speech to Congress and all Americans, President Obama boldly declared America’s community colleges are a gateway for the middle class.

Students who want to get ahead are drowning in debt before they can even gain a footing in our economy, so President Obama’s community college proposal to Congress comes at a pivotal time. America’s College Promise proposal would make two years of community college “free for responsible students, letting students earn the first half of a bachelor’s degree and earn skills needed in the workforce at no cost.”

SEIU members believe we need more funding for community colleges as the best source for high value education – in contrast to for-profit colleges that waste billions of public dollars while leaving students with huge bills and little or no education. Following the State of the Union address SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry said in a statement that, “Families should have a fair shot to build a successful future through free community college, student debt relief, and investments in pre-K, primary and secondary education.” Read More

The petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board from Pacific Lutheran University faculty to form a union has been withdrawn. This means the current union election is over, and the challenged votes will not be counted.

At the Jan. 8, 2015 ballot count, nearly a third of the ballots were challenged by the PLU administration. The myriad of challenges included faculty voting eligibility, ballots that were received late due to the Oct. 2013 government shut-down, duplicate ballots because of the NLRB’s accidental mailing of two sets of ballots, ballots returned in a different envelope, and more. The process of resolving unrelenting challenges from the PLU administration amidst a flawed election would be a long and costly process.

Faculty could actually get to a new election faster and with less legal expense if faculty proceed to a second vote with those currently teaching at PLU.

“We will continue to speak out for improving both the working lives of faculty and the quality of education for our students,” said Jane Harty, Senior Lecturer of Music at Pacific Lutheran University.