[Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis

Joe Campbell philosopher.joe at gmail.com
Fri Apr 24 06:05:08 PDT 2009


Look, I have tenure and if my department gets cut, I can lose my job.  
That doesn't sound like I'm immune from pay cuts since they can cut  
the whole thing. That's how it is at WSU.

As far as I know many if not all faculty are taking paycuts at UI, so  
they can't be immune either.

Joe Campbell

On Apr 23, 2009, at 7:59 PM, Paul Rumelhart <godshatter at yahoo.com>  
wrote:

> Presumably a pay cut and the added bonus of keeping your job while  
> others might be losing theirs.  If I'm understanding Roger, his beef  
> is with tenured professors being immune from pay cuts - not with  
> their being immune from being laid off.
>
> Paul
>
> Joe Campbell wrote:
>> Maybe I should have expressed my question more clearly, What is  
>> tenure  without the salary? What do you get with that?
>>
>> Joe Campbell
>>
>> On Apr 23, 2009, at 8:43 AM, lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> All I am saying is that pay cuts should affect everyone, starting   
>>> with administrators. It makes no sence to cut the pay of those on   
>>> the lowest end of the pay scale while excluding those that make   
>>> more. If the rules for tenure do not allow for this, then the  
>>> rules  need to be changed.
>>> Roger
>>> -----Original message-----
>>> From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:22:01 -0700
>>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com,  lfalen lfalen at turbonet.com, "Gier,   
>>> Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to  
>>> Financial  Crisis
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>
>>>> If tenure protects base salary, as two legal cases indicate that  
>>>> it  does, then a contract that invalidated that aspect of tenure  
>>>> would  be illegal and no faculty member should agree to it.
>>>>
>>>> Nick
>>>> ---- lfalen <lfalen at turbonet.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> You are reading in things that arn't there. I said only that   
>>>>> future tenure contract should not lock in salaries in the event   
>>>>> that every one else takes  a pay cut. In this narrow regard, no   
>>>>> one should be immuned.
>>>>> Roger
>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>> From: "Gier, Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:01:58 -0700
>>>>> To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com,  nickgier at roadrunner.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to   
>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Here are your exact words:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "If this is prohibited by tenured rules, these should be  
>>>>>> changed  going forward. Contracts should be honored as the  
>>>>>> early retires  contracts should be honored. The thing is do not  
>>>>>> make these kinds  of contracts in the future."
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Perhaps you did not mean to say it, but you wrote this and it   
>>>>>> clearly implies that future contracts for faculty would not   
>>>>>> include tenure.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: lfalen [mailto:lfalen at turbonet.com]
>>>>>> Sent: Wed 4/22/2009 1:53 PM
>>>>>> To: Gier, Nicholas; nickgier at roadrunner.com;  
>>>>>> vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to   
>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I did not say anything about eliminating tenure, only that  
>>>>>> they  should be subject to same rules as staff when it comes to  
>>>>>> pay cuts.
>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>> From: "Gier, Nicholas" NGIER at uidaho.edu
>>>>>> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:42:01 -0700
>>>>>> To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com,  nickgier at roadrunner.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to   
>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi Roger,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> If you are suggesting that Idaho eliminate tenure, then   
>>>>>>> prospective faculty members will not apply for jobs on  
>>>>>>> Idaho's  campuses. That of course would be disastrous for  
>>>>>>> Idaho higher  education.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Tenure is necessary for academic freedom and that means, after  
>>>>>>> a  rigorous probationary period of 5-7 years, tenured  
>>>>>>> professors  have career-long protection from political  
>>>>>>> interference in their  teaching, research, and service.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com on behalf of lfalen
>>>>>>> Sent: Wed 4/22/2009 10:39 AM
>>>>>>> To: nickgier at roadrunner.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to   
>>>>>>> Financial Crisis
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Nick
>>>>>>> I agree with you on administrative position and athletics,   
>>>>>>> though not necessarily on tenure. If cuts do get down to  
>>>>>>> staff  positions, it should also include tenured faculty. If  
>>>>>>> this is  prohibited by tenured rules, these should be changed  
>>>>>>> going  forward. Contracts should be honored as the early  
>>>>>>> retires  contracts should be honored. The thing is do not make  
>>>>>>> these  kinds of contracts in the future.
>>>>>>> Roger
>>>>>>> -----Original message-----
>>>>>>> From: nickgier at roadrunner.com
>>>>>>> Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:54:37 -0700
>>>>>>> To: vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>> Subject: [Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to  
>>>>>>> Financial  Crisis
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> IFT HIGHER EDUCATION COUNCIL RESPONDS TO FINANCIAL CRISIS
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On April 15, 2009 the Higher Education Council of the Idaho   
>>>>>>>> Federation of Teachers, AFT/AFL-CIO met in a phone  
>>>>>>>> conference  to discuss the financial crisis.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Those present were Valia Tatarova, Idaho State University   
>>>>>>>> (physics); Lynn Lubamersky, Boise State University  
>>>>>>>> (history);  Chris Riggs, Lewis-Clark State College (history);  
>>>>>>>> Lynne  Haagensen, University of Idaho (art); Joyce Lider,  
>>>>>>>> North Idaho  College (English); Susan Andrews, IFT Vice- 
>>>>>>>> President for Higher  Education; and Nick Gier, IFT President.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> I. Salary Reduction Proposal. According to a legal opinion  
>>>>>>>> from  the AFT national office, academic tenure protects base  
>>>>>>>> salary.  Tenure is a property right and at least two court  
>>>>>>>> cases have  recognized that base salary is part of that  
>>>>>>>> property. The IFT  Higher Education Council voted to oppose  
>>>>>>>> any salary reductions  for tenured faculty.  We join the BSU  
>>>>>>>> Faculty Senate President  in vowing to file a case action  
>>>>>>>> suit if tenured faculty are  forced to take a pay cut.  In a  
>>>>>>>> related decision the IFT Higher  Education Council voted that  
>>>>>>>> classified staff, lecturers, and  non-tenured faculty be  
>>>>>>>> exempt from salary reductions and  proposed that salary  
>>>>>>>> savings be taken from those making more  than $100,000.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> II. Teaching positions should have priority over  
>>>>>>>> administrative  positions.  Nation-wide administrative  
>>>>>>>> positions have generally  grown at a greater rate than  
>>>>>>>> teaching positions.  The example  of BSU is especially  
>>>>>>>> egregious: from 2005-2007 BSU had over 100  more  
>>>>>>>> administrators than its peers but 191 fewer faculty  members  
>>>>>>>> instructing students than peer institutions.   Administrative  
>>>>>>>> salaries have also outpaced faculty pay.  Since  1982 the  
>>>>>>>> salaries of 11 top UI administrative positions have   
>>>>>>>> increased 260 percent while full professor salaries  
>>>>>>>> increased  198 percent.  (CPI for the period was 215.) (For  
>>>>>>>> more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/salaries.htm
>>>>>>>>> .) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to recommend that
>>>>>>>> administrative positions be cut before teaching positions.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> III. Appropriated funds are for academics not athletics.   
>>>>>>>> Since  1987 state subsidies for athletics at the UI has grown  
>>>>>>>> 338  percent while appropriations for Idaho higher education  
>>>>>>>> has  grown 159 percent.  Currently the state subsidies for UI  
>>>>>>>> and  ISU athletics are over $3 million.  Since 1999 private   
>>>>>>>> contributions to UI athletics rose 246 percent, indicating  
>>>>>>>> the  potential for it to wean itself, as any non-academic  
>>>>>>>> program  should, from its state subsidy. (For more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/athletics.htm
>>>>>>>>> .) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to request that
>>>>>>>> state monies for athletics on all Idaho campuses be phased  
>>>>>>>> out  over 4-6 years.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> IV. Program reduction procedures must be revised.  In 2002  
>>>>>>>> the  Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE) instituted new  
>>>>>>>> procedures  for program reduction.  At that time the IFT  
>>>>>>>> objected to a lack  of protection for tenured faculty and  
>>>>>>>> requested that the  procedures be revised.  As no revisions  
>>>>>>>> have been made, IFT  president asked  in December 2008 for a  
>>>>>>>> legal opinion from the  national office.  The response was  
>>>>>>>> that these procedures  undermine tenure and do not comply  
>>>>>>>> with Idaho law. (For more  see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/ProgramReduction.htm 
>>>>>>>> >.)  The IFT Higher Education Council voted to urge the SBOE  
>>>>>>>> to  revise these procedures such that tenured faculty have  
>>>>>>>> the same  protection as under the procedures for financial  
>>>>>>>> exigency.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>>>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>>>>>              http://www.fsr.net
>>>>>>>>         mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>>>>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>>>>>              http://www.fsr.net
>>>>>>>         mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>>>>>> =======================================================
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>> =======================================================
>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>              http://www.fsr.net
>>>         mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> =======================================================
>>>
>>
>> =======================================================
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,  serving the  
>> communities of the Palouse since 1994.                  http://www.fsr.net 
>>                                  mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>>
>>
>
>



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