[Vision2020] A 5% percent pay cut

[Kenneth Marcy]

On Sunday 06 February 2011 07:12:54 Donovan Arnold wrote:
> Nobody thinks they are paid enough.

Are you contradicting yourself?

These texts are confusing, misleading, or both. You wrote to Joe Campbell:

> [...] I am content with my profession.
> I chose a profession with low pay and high stability, [...]

So, which is it? Or are you saying you're a Nobody who is paid enough?

> But you cannot argue that Joe makes less than the average Joe. 

Considering how undefined are the terms here, it's likely one could make any of 
several, or multiple, arguments. The point of the discussion, however, is not 
to quibble about averages or arithmetic, but rather to set priorities and to 
make choices. Decide which activities are more important, and choose to do 
them well. If that means that other activities are not done at all, so be it.

A university is a more discrete organization than a large production facility, 
all of which must be operating if any of it is operating. Manufacturing 
operations are riskier because there must be enough margin to allow it all to 
operate, whereas a more divisible organization can sever less important, or 
singly-connected subjects and activities, while retaining those that have 
established multiple connections of value to the entire organization.

For example, the language and literature professor who teaches courses at the 
core of a major is likely to be retained, while the professor who teaches a 
rare and specialized elective language may be considered an optional asset for 
the university to maintain. On the other hand, if that specialized professor 
finds a way to connect his specialty language subject to military weapons 
research or advanced business computation systems design, and can secure grant 
money to pay his own salary and overhead, plus that of some graduate students, 
too, it's likely that that professor will be teaching the specialty language 
for at least as long as the grant monies are renewed.

Because of these sorts of complexities within university communities, straight 
across-the-board percentage budget cuts are often not only not advisable, but 
sometimes just reflect so much lack of knowledge as to be beyond discussion.


Ken