Biden is Back: Former VP makes Faculty and official return to the university administration reach contract CALEB OWENS Senior Reporter agreement Not even the rain and cold could keep the student body inside CALEB OWENS on Friday, when former Blue Hen Senior Reporter and Vice President Joe Biden made his official return to the university After over a year of largely with an address to students, faculty stagnant and divisive contract and community members on the negotiations, and nearly 280 days North Green. without a faculty contract, the The event had an atmosphere university’s American Association comparable to that of a pep rally, of Union Professors (AAUP) and with cheerleaders dancing onstage the administration reached an to the tune of “Delaware Forever” agreement that passed in a faculty and other songs performed by vote on Wednesday. the university’s marching band. 412 AAUP members voted The crowd contributed to the in favor of the agreement and 38 excitement with repeated chants of members cast rejections. Full­ “Biden is back.” time faculty are eligible for AAUP President Dennis Assanis membership and voting privilege, delivered the event’s opening and the contract applies to all full­ remarks, rallying the crowd around time faculty members. the return of alumnus Biden — The AAUP released a letter a “true Blue Hen” whose return characterizing the negotiations constitutes “a special moment MINJI KONG/THE REVIEW as “long and arduous,” spanning in the history of the University Former VP Biden marks return to university with address to the Blue Hen community. over a year and requiring a total of Delaware.” Assanis voiced of 22 meetings between the AAUP optimism that Biden’s return, issues, such as the environment, microphone, reminiscing about his contrasting the roles they assumed and university bargaining teams. primarily through the new Biden making safer communities, making time at the university. He recounted during their time in college. Throughout the negotiations, the Domestic Policy Institute, will place people healthier and ensuring his first stroll down The Green as “Valerie was on the Dean's List AAUP credited the bargaining the university at the forefront of civil rights for everyone. Whatever a first-generation college student, the whole time,” Biden said. “I was difficulties to the university’s social and scientific progress. challenges you want to tackle, you recalling a sense of motivation on the Dean’s hit-list. They put me initial proposals that it described “He knows more about public will need to know how to make your and importance that the university on social probation twice, when all in a previous letter as “shocking.” policy than anybody,” Assanis solutions work in the real world. evoked in him. He credited his I did was use a fire extinguisher on These proposals sought to said. “And (the institutel will allow That’s where public policy comes sister Valerie, who also attended anRA." eliminate retirement leaves and students and faculty to work with in.” the university, to his successful Biden pointed to his sources retirement payouts for all faculty some of today’s most important Biden then took t« the campaigns over the years, of inspiration at the university, members within six years, in SEE BIDEN IS BACK ON PAGE 5 addition to reducing university contributions to 403b retirement plans for new hires. As of last semester, the Trump budget proposal dams up Sea Grant funding university had revised its original proposals, presenting a retirement benefit system that left benefits WILLIAM KEBBE intact for current faculty but would Associate News Editor reduce university contributions to retirement payout and 403b Waves crash along the shore plans for faculty hired after July of Lewes beach, flooding the 2017. In effect, the administration small, salty-aired Delaware town proposed a two-tier benefit system, which sits near the boundary of with current faculty receiving the Delaware Bay and Atlantic retirement benefits preferable to Ocean. It is here, at the Hugh those of new' faculty. The AAUP R. Sharp campus, where many opposed the measure, claiming marine-focused researchers from that it would incite hostile faculty the university study the enormity divisions and damage an already of the ocean and its inhabitants. weak sense of faculty morale. Studies conducted to test the According to an AAUP letter, safety ol seafood, as well as the the university cited “revenue best coastal land management projections about stable to practices, are all funded in part by declining state support and stable the Delaware Sea Grant Program. tuition” and “concerns about In 1966, President Lyndon projected retirement liability” as B. Johnson signed legislation reasons for its proposed benefit creating the National Sea Grant cuts. Tuition rates continue to rise, College Program Act, designed however, and state contributions to enhance and support marine- to the university comprised only related research and educational 12 percent of the university’s total programming among a network of operating revenue for the 2016 colleges and universities. Now in its fiscal year. Recent annual surpluses 51st year, the Sea Grant program, EVE LOMBARDI/THE REVIEW have exceeded 200 million dollars. run by the National Oceanic and Under the newly proposed Trump budget, $1.5 million in funding would be lost from the Delaware Sea Grant Program. According to sociology' Atmospheric Administration professor and .AAUP Contract two thirds of its funding, graduate school program, plus the (NOAA), is comprised of 33 schools master’s and doctoral level Maintenance Officer Gerald Turkel, amounting to approximately $1.5 across the country, many of which students conducting research. equipment needed for fieldwork the negotiations reached a pivotal million. hug the border of a body of water, According to Mark Jolly, research. Graduate students moment in January following a “Obviously it’s shocking to the including Delaware. Director of Communications and funded by the program also meeting between AAUP leaders and system,” Mohsen Badiey, acting A half a century later, and the Environmental Public Education partake in community outreach Vice Provost Matthew Kinservik dean of the college of Earth, Ocean for CEOE, nine graduate and program appears to be undergoing events with the local Delaware and President Dennis Assanis. and the Environment (CEOE), said. post-graduate level students community, another cost covered dramatic changes. Under the Turkel said that the meeting led to “We have integrated that program were receiving funding from this Trump administration’s recent while at the university. renewed negotiations that enabled to the way we do research and budget proposal, the $250 million program in 2016. These students, as well as both sides to reach agreement on education of our students.”. With that funding, Badiey said allocated to NOAA would be all but faculty members who have used the most difficult issues. Badiey said the money from that the students receive a full dammed up. Delaware’s Sea Grant their eligibility to receive funding The negotiations had raised program would lose approximately the Sea Grant program funds stipend to cover the tuition of their from Delaware’s Sea Grant SEE BUDGET ON PAGE 5 SEE CONTRACT ON PAGE 4 CZ) LU DEBIASING IN THE MIDDLE ARABIC RHYTHM Q Psychologist Tony Greenwald Daniel Green discusses U.S. interest with vLayaali Music Ensemble performs at discusses ovrecoming bias. the Middle East. Roselle Center. I CZ) NEWS Page 3 NEWS Page 4 MOSAIC Page 9 £ z APRIL 11, 2017 2 udreview.com FRIDAY, APRIL 14 Free Lunch Friday, 11 a.m., Horn Program and Venture ENC Development Center I T IK I 11 I N Introduction to Web Programming Workshop, 3:30 p.m., Purnell Hall R oom 022 TUESDAY, APRIL 11 SATURDAY, APRIL 15 Spring 2017 History I IUpS Willi IOIS i l j Classes tor sane |— | i oaseoau Workshop, 12:30 p.m., Accelerate Delaware | page 11 IM of sports page 2 ? 1 forecast pageis Munroe Hall Room 203 Information Session, 5 p.m., Career Services DIY Hummus & Morel, Center Workshop Room 7 p.m., Harrington C om m ons UD Chamber Orchestra, 8 p.m., Center for the Arts Quizzo, 7 p.m., Perkins Gore Recital Hall West Lounge Oberly seeks drug, alcohol crackdown WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12 SUNDAY. APRIL 16 N°rt*Eo"* Student Life Committee to review attorney general's proposal today “Use or AbUse? 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