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Dear George: I write to address the charter school initiative, that is UVA, W & M, and VA Tech's effort to pull away from the state, to be come quasi-private. The bill will be coming up for approval this January. Again. I find it appalling that the flagship school of Virginia, one of the top academic institutions in this country, doesn't want to be a public institution anymore. The three schools will be called "political subdivisions". What exactly is a "political subdivision? Is it an institution run by politicians? Is it a sub division of Virginia? What it IS, is universities run like a private business, with full control over personnel policies, procurement, and budgetary responsibility. They don't want to be held accountable or answer to anyone. Their own little kingdom so to speak. Charlottesville's own Enron. Fortunately, our legislators didn't slam dunk this bill through in the last General Assembly, although I am sure UVA thought it would be an easy road to victory. But people, SUUVA, Governor Warner, the media, and legislators stood up and protested. Spoke up, spoke out. So now here we are a year later. A committee to study this initiative has been appointed. Good move. UVA is all over the media touting what a great thing this will be for the employees, for the institution itself. The old big daddy UVA spin machine. The big bully of central Virginia. What we don't see is UVA holding town meetings with employees to get their input BEFORE they put the plan together, community forums where the community can ask questions. I see no plan of action on HOW this is all going to take place. I see nothing being said about how UVA, W & M, and Tech will support themselves and their employees with less state money than they have now. Why? Because UVA knows the employees will go ballistic when they see what is in store for them. It has been said I am "misleading" the employees. I say prove it. Show us the plan, talk to your employees, and be HONEST for a change. One of the main problems with this bill is that employees won't be "state" employees anymore. I guess they will be "political subdivision" employees. Their state worker rights will be pretty much gone. But they won't be private sector employees either. Still will have no collective bargaining rights. Or strike rights. Or any rights really. Staff will be caught in a Catch-22. Not state, not private. I can't even BEGIN to imagine the ramifications this will have for students, both undergraduate and grad students. For UVA to use the Medical Center as a model is preposterous. The hospital is one big mess. Low morale, supervisors that mistreat employees ON A DAILY BASIS, few raises, Nazi-like personnel policies, BIG turnover (2000 employees have came and gone in 5 years from just ONE department), BIG nursing shortage (which they refuse to admit to), 12 hour wait in the emergency room, unhappy patients, unhappy employees (which they refuse to admit to also), rampant racism and discrimination, bloated salaries for their administrators, robberies that no one even TOLD us about? A MODEL?? For what? On how NOT to run an organization? It is only because of great doctors, nurses and hardworking employees that UVA is a top 100 hospital. These people work hard for very little pay, respect, or recognition. I don't blame anyone that works--I mean actually WORKS--for the problems at the hospital. I blame the administration from the top on down. So I suggest people get on the bandwagon here. Join the union, write letters, stand up, ask questions, and demand answers. Don't ever believe "this doesn't affect me". It will. In ways you can't even imagine. I'm sure Mr. Jefferson is rolling over in his grave. Jan Cornell (electronic mail, August 6, 2004)
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