University of Puerto Rico profs union: Transparency needed with $3.3 million tech licensing contract
The Puerto Rican Association of University Professors (APPU by its Spanish acronym) urged University of Puerto Rico (UPR) President Jorge Haddock on Thursday to answer various questions about a multi-million-dollar contract with Microsoft Caribbean Inc. and SoftwareOne Inc. at a time when the institution of higher learning is in a fiscal crisis.
UPR employees and students are using the tools provided by Google for online classes.
APPU President Ángel Rodríguez expressed in a written statement his reservations with a $3.3 million contract with Microsoft for the acquisition of technology licenses. This contract would end in February 2022 with the possibility of being renewed for three more years.
In addition, the contract calls for a reserve of 5 percent to cover up to $157,584 in purchases, the union leader said.
“At a time when the economic crisis at UPR continues to sharpen, this type of contract lacks the sense of administrative and fiscal responsibility that should prevail when evaluating any contract that further compromises the institution’s finances,” Rodríguez stated.
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