Comments on: Can furloughs save land grant universities?

By: Azahar

Azahar — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:27:21 +0000

The people really are the best resource that a university has, as John described above. The students that get excited about their education are far more likely to succeed, and this of course ultimately stems from the faculty mentors. I loved this video http://blog.acm.org/elearn/2008/11/baby_its_cold_outside_warmup_e.html on education importance and opportunities like what we are talking about here. The faculty and staff are our best resources!

Enjoy!

Azahar (EducationDynamics)

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:43:29 +0000

check out this discussion at Snarkmarket on “liberal arts 2.0″. this is the kind of discussion we should be having in academia, but the mind-set that defines “excellence” as line items on a CV doesn’t even have this on the radar screen:
http://snarkmarket.com/blog/snarkives/books_writing_such/a_snarkmarket_book_project_the_new_liberal_arts/

By: John Moravec

John Moravec — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:33:34 +0000

Joanna, I like what you said, especially: We already have a salary system that is medieval and that does not reward people for innovation in pedagogy or community outreach.

Like the airlines and auto industry, I don’t see the model universities are built on as being viable in the modern world. I think that furloughs are more of a “nuclear option” that can do more harm than the “quick fix” they are intended to provide. However, if they become necessary anywhere, I hope that they can be properly managed to encourage staffing changes that can help modernize the university. This, of course, needs to be paired with significant structural reform.

Let’s just hope that any university that chooses the nuclear option doesn’t blow itself up…

By: Joanna

Joanna — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:15:50 +0000

John, I’m afraid I don’t agree that these results would follow. Staff at the U are already paid miserably. This would only increase their financial insecurity.
How exactly do faculty “take a day off”? we are on salary, and essentially could work 24/7 and never be done. Faculty I know routinely work 50-80 hours a week. Just because they are given a pay cut will not reduce their work load. I see “forloughs” (aka: pay cuts) as contributing to a continuing demoralization arising from being expected to do more with less for many years now: less staff support, more students per class, increased work load because of rising expectations re: “productivity.” We already have a salary system that is medieval and that does not reward people for innovation in pedagogy or community outreach. High=performing faculty are already being raided by other institutions willing to provide more salary, more research support, and more respect. If we were in it for the money, we wouldn’t be working at the university; we’d become dental hygienists or intall car stereos (two jobs that pay more than I earn).
The University has already offered early retirement incentives (positive ones) this year. But given the fact that our retirement portfolios just lost one-third of their value this year, I doubt many people could afford to take them.