The United Campus Workers plans to present a petition to University of Memphis President Bill Hardgrave soon, calling for the reinstatement of employees from the Office of Multicultural Affairs in different roles that comply with state law.
The Office of Multicultural Affairs was shut down in September to comply with Tennessee legislation restricting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on college campuses. Staff members were called into a meeting with Human Resources and told they were being let go with no prior warning. They were offered 90 days of continued pay, benefits and priority hiring status.
“Dr. Hardgrave talks about wanting to have a successful outcome for every student. That was the purpose of what these people did,” said Carl Hess, vice president of United Campus Workers.
United Campus Workers is an organization representing several hundred campus employees. Membership is open to anyone employed at the University of Memphis, and the group focuses on organizing and advocating for workers’ rights.
Some former Office of Multicultural Affairs staff have been rehired in new positions, but others remain without jobs. Hess said the union has been in contact with at least four affected employees.
“To take four people whose jobs were working on student success and get rid of them without replacing that need elsewhere on campus is a big deal,” Hess said.
The group argues that the university had alternatives that would still align with state law. At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a similar office was not shuttered. Instead, it was merged with other departments and restructured with a new mission centered on student leadership, engagement and community; while all staff members kept their jobs.
The United Campus Workers also expressed disappointment with what they describe as a lack of transparency from the current administration. The group delivered a letter to Hardgrave over the summer requesting more openness, and a small delegation met with Hardgrave and Provost David Russomanno on July 18. While administrators listened to their concerns, they did not make specific commitments.
“We just know that there was not great communication on this decision campus-wide, but also specifically to the people in that office who are most affected,” Hess said.
The group expects to present the petition at the upcoming Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 3.
Luke Lawson can be contacted at llawson6@memphis.edu.
