2008 Woodie Awards
Our View
Instead of walking on bricks administrators walk on teachers
Silhouette Staff
Issue date: 9/26/02 Section: Opinion
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During the past year, renovations have been made to the campus to benefit the college community. Though most changes have improved campus, we think that several projects the college spent thousands of dollars on were unnecessary.
We walk by newly planted trees and elaborate landscapes, not realizing that the instructors here at the college are underpaid.
Administrators are so wrapped up in making the campus 'pretty,' they have failed to realize that without instructors there is no college, and thus, no reason for the 'pretty' landscapes.
Approximately 70 full time instructors, as a group, are asking for an approximate $158,000 pay raise. Administrators say they don't have the money to meet the request of faculty because of a recessed economy, yet they have the funds to lay $50,000 worth of bricks in a sidewalk.
What we don't understand is how administrators can find the faculty's request unreasonable, but they don't find it unreasonable to purchase a new activity bus with what appears to have thousands of dollars worth of options.
We also don't understand how the college is having money troubles because of an economic crisis when enrollment is up 4 percent from last year. More students attending the college translates into more state and local funding.
If the faculty were to receive a $158,000 pay raise divided among 70 individuals, this would result in an average increase of $188 per month per instructor. Of course this is a basic comparison, we realize increases would vary slightly based on experience and degree. However, after paying $41 per month to cover increases in health benefits $188 quickly becomes $147 per month.
How unreasonable is that? Administrators might prefer to walk all over instructors, but students would settle for concrete. Pay our instructors. Instead of walking on bricks, administrators would rather walk on teachers.