UConn Professors: DeStefano offers vision of hope;

October 23, 2006

UConn Professors: DeStefano offers vision of hope; Rell Administration is seismic accident of Connecticut history

(Hartford, CT) - The union that represents faculty at the University of Connecticut today announced its endorsement of John DeStefano for Governor and Mary Glassman for Lieutenant Governor, praising the Democrats for having a vision of hope and aspiration for the state.

"John DeStefano has offered a vision of hope and aspiration for Connecticut," the UConn branch of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP), which represents 1,400 full-time and 600 part-time faculty and research professionals in Storrs and the five regional campuses, said in its letter of endorsement released today.

The endorsement continued to say of DeStefano, "His message has been one of investment in education, of health care reform as part of an overall economic improvement, and of equal opportunity through a better funding of education by means of meaningful property tax reform."

By contrast, the UConn branch of the American Association of University Professors said, "It is one of the seismic accidents of Connecticut history that M. Jodi Rell is Governor."

The strongly-worded endorsement criticizes Jodi Rell for proclaiming a ten year partnership with John Rowland during which she was "excluded from all that was wrong; now she is champion of all that is right."

As a member of the Rowland Administration, Rell stood by while John Rowland laid off public employees and nearly devastated the UConn faculty ranks with layoff threats. Since Rowland's resignation and imprisonment, and Rell's becoming governor, the endorsement letter states, "Governor Rell has offered little insight as to what the future holds."

"I'm honored to accept the endorsement of the university professors, who have seen the neglect of our higher education system, and the Rell Administration's lack of vision firsthand," DeStefano said.

The AAUP has been active at UConn since the 1930s, but first endorsed statewide candidates in the 1994 gubernatorial election. Since then, the AAUP has endorsed a wide range of Republicans and Democrats for the state legislature and for statewide office, including Lowell Weicker for Governor, Nancy Wyman for Comptroller, Republican state senators Tony Guglielmo and William Nickerson, and House Minority Leader Robert Ward.

In making this year's endorsements, the AAUP requested, but was denied, and interview with Governor Rell.

In addition to her support of the Rowland Administration layoffs, Governor Rell called for a freeze in tuition at Connecticut's public colleges in 2005, without providing any funding for the colleges and universities to make up for the $7.8 million loss in revenue. The proposal failed after college and university officials appealed to the legislature, detailing the devastating effect the loss of revenue would have on the availability and quality of education for students.

"Jodi Rell told voters just last week in the debate that freezing tuition without providing the institutions with additional funding was a good idea," DeStefano said. "This is just another example of Jodi Rell not seeing a problem, and therefore not being able to fix it."

DeStefano said Connecticut's young people are leaving the state in the thousands because of the state's inadequate higher education system, and the lack of good jobs when they graduate. The mayor said his comprehensive plan to invest in higher education and create jobs to keep young people in Connecticut, is the key to economic prosperity.

The Rowland/Rell Record:

The State of Higher Education has been traditionally a source of pride in Connecticut. Nationally, Connecticut's higher education system has been recognized as one of the best buys in the country. The last four years under the Rowland/Rell Administrations have short changed funding for a quality higher education system and shifted those costs onto the backs of students and parents pricing many residents out of a college opportunity.

The recent education trends report by the Connecticut Board of Higher Education document a troubled state of higher education in Connecticut.

* State support for higher education under Governor Rell's budget ties the lowest level of support (3.9%) in the last 18 years.

* Connecticut ranks 43rd in state support for higher education.

* Among the State's nine targeted industry clusters that are targeted for growth ? engineering is the only clear success over the last 4 years.

* 2004 & 2005 had the largest back to back tuition and fee increases in the last ten years.

* Connecticut universities tuition and fees are the 10th highest in the country.

* Students share of college costs in Connecticut are the highest in 18 years.