[Vision2020] Fund our budgets, not higher ed CEO

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today’s (February 1, 2018) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with thanks to Nick Gier.

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His View: Fund our budgets, not higher ed CEO

By Nick Gier

One of Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's proposals in his State of the State Address was a call for a "chief education officer." This person would consolidate "back-office" functions at Idaho State University, Boise State University, Lewis-Clark State College and the University of Idaho. Otter is asking for $270,000 for salary/benefits and $500,000 for "integration consultation" fees.

The State Board of Education has approved the plan, and ISU President Arthur Vailas and UI President Chuck Staben are also on board. Only BSU President Bob Kustra has reservations.

Kustra's main concern is how this person would relate to the current SBOE executive director. Paraphrasing Matthew 6:24, he said: "No man can serve two masters without loving one and hating the other."

Kustra also disputed the projected savings of $43 million. One of his fiscal officers did his own calculation, and came up with $6 million instead. Incredibly enough, one of the functions included in the consolidation was the five campus' physical plants. Those would be very long and costly steam pipes from a power plant in Boise.

GOP Sen. Shawn Keough, co-chair of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, said: "I thought that the SBOE executive director was the CEO, so I'm not supportive of that at this point." Democratic Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking was worried that money for new position would "come at the expense of core higher education functions."

That is exactly what is happening. David Hahn, Otter's budget analyst, admitted to JFAC that the governor has rejected higher education budget requests in order to reserve money for the new CEO. Hahn argued the priority now must be a move from the current "siloed system to a system-ness," which would be more "student-centric." I could not find "system-ness" at dictionary.com.

Statewide, Otter zeroed out $11.8 million in college and university line-items, much more than is needed for his pet project. Otter denied the following UI requests: $1.8 million for the UI library; $3 million for a Nuclear Seed Potato Facility; $323,000 for forest utilization research; and $101,000 for the Idaho Geology Survey.

UI President Staben also requested $320,000 for crisis intervention counselors and two positions for autistic students. In his presentation to the Legislature, he said the "folks who provide those services are overwhelmed." One would be hard pressed to find a need that is more "student-centric."

Has there been any thought to what would happen to those employees whose "back-office" jobs would be lost in this reorganization? One would assume salary savings are included in the estimated $43 million cost reduction. New staff would be required in Boise, so one expect some of those let go would be offered similar positions there. But is this a move most people would want to countenance?

Faculty salaries, especially at the full professor level, lag peer institutions 20 to 30 percent. Last year, ISU President Vailas asked for a 6 percent increase for his faculty, but this year he is supporting Otter's paltry 3 percent. It actually turns out to be 2 percent, because 1 percent is taken off the top for promotion increments and other salary adjustments.

While not entirely student-centric, students are negatively impacted when some of the best faculty are hired off at higher salaries elsewhere, including our neighbor across the border.

The ISU, BSU and LCSC presidents are leaving at the end of this year, and the Lewiston Tribune's Marty Trillhaase wonders about how prospective recruits would view this "half-baked" idea with no clear lines of authority.

The ISU and BSU replacements would be hired at $400,000 or more, and they would naturally feel they out-ranked their CEO, whose job description reads like a mid-level manager with "specialized skills."

"Half-baked," indeed, and, I might add, muddled and confused.

Nick Gier taught philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. He is president of the Idaho Federation of Teachers. He can be reached at ngier006 at gmail.com.

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  
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