No faculty layoffs in sight
I was surprised to read the front page headlines in Wednesday’s Daily Wildcat and quotes attributed to me in the ensuing article.

Let me make clear my position: We have not discussed layoffs of tenure-eligible or tenured faculty. We take pride in the rigorous process we use to recruit and retain our faculty. Our process attracts faculty who bring expertise in the fields we excel in and where we want to excel. We invest in our faculty, and we have high expectations for their scholarly success throughout their university careers.

We are also committed to The University of Arizona Transformation Plan. We know the status quo will no longer work. Instead, the time has come to take bold action that will radically change the way we operate. We must become more efficient (and less susceptible to appropriation variations) but at the same time – and far more importantly – we need to become better at what we do.

The success of our transformation process requires a strong and vibrant faculty, whom we have worked hard to recruit and retain. To achieve our goals, we must build on the creativity, talents and experiences of those who make UA such an outstanding university. The partnerships among our faculty, appointed professionals, staff and students are the reasons why we have reached our current national stature, and they will be at the core of how we propel ourselves forward in the future.

Robert N. Shelton
UA president

From the Editor:
The Arizona Daily Wildcat’s article Wednesday, “”Faculty layoffs loom,”” nowhere mentions that tenure-eligible or tenured faculty would be laid off. At the Appointed Advisory Council meeting on Tuesday, President Shelton specifically said non-tenured faculty may be laid off as part of the UA Transformation Plan. How many have or will be laid off remains unknown at the moment, he said. The Daily Wildcat reported this.

However, the Daily Wildcat inaccurately wrote that Shelton said: “”I think anybody who is in a position of non-tenured faculty feels uncertainty right now. And there may be layoffs; there may be already. I can’t promise that there won’t be.””

In actuality, Shelton said: “”I think anybody who is in a position that’s not a tenured faculty position probably feels some vulnerability right now, and I am aware of that and I appreciate that. And there may be layoffs. There may be already. I can’t promise that there won’t be.””

To hear portions of Shelton’s speech from Tuesday, including the quote above, please listen online at dailywildcat.com.

Prop. 102 will protect families
In regards to Matt Wavrin’s column yesterday (“”Prop. 102 another cause for concern””), I would like to set the record straight. This liberally misguided spatter is in fact a direct strike at the building blocks of society. I am of course talking about families.

Harvard’s Dr. Zimmerman correlated family and societal decay in “”Family and Civilization”” in which he shows how decaying family structure produced the crumble of history’s greatest civilizations, including Rome. When the basic building blocks of civilization crumble under arrogant liberalism, the entire society suffers greatly. What does this look like? Rampant adultery and sexual perversion leads to a weakened meaning of traditional marriage, which leads to poor parenting and ultimately leads to confused and weak future generations.

The family structure must be maintained as one man and one woman. The family unit does not function under any other definition, thus Proposition 102 is highly important to pass in order to secure the strength of our nation for future generations.

Nate Dahl
mechanical engineering senior

Clergy opposes Prop. 102
In response to the Mailbag letter on Sept. 30, “”Proposition 102 celebrates marriage, ‘difference’ between genders,”” we would like to express our opposition to Proposition 102. While the students in the campus ministries we serve hold a variety of views on this subject, we are Christian campus ministers who affirm and welcome LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi, transgendered) couples, individuals and their families. We do this because our reading of the whole and heart of the Christian Scriptures, especially as seen in context and through the lens of God’s gospel and justice in Christ, compels us to this view. This leads us to pray and work for the day when LGBT persons will finally be able to enjoy fullness of life, including marriage and/or civil unions, with all the joys and responsibilities therein. We personally believe Proposition 102 is a bad idea that is neither just nor equitable and will lead to further polarization and misunderstanding. Thank you.

Rev. Dr. Thomas Lindell,
Episcopal Campus Ministry

Rev. Ron Rude,
Lutheran Campus Ministry (ELCA)