Faculty Senate will focus on possible raises at tonights meeting, as senators try to get a feel for general faculty opinion on next year's budget.
Senate's Executive Committee added a third resolution to the agenda over the weekend, asking senators to consider whether Ohio University should budget for a 2 percent or 1 percent faculty and staff raise pool next year.
The resolution reflects discussion at Budget Planning Council Friday during which members of BPC voted 7 to 0 with 7 abstentions to move down to a 1 percent raise pool. The council estimated that would save $1.6 million, $1 million of which would go to preserving instructional resources (Group II and IV faculty lines), and $600,000 of which would go toward scholarships.
Faculty opinion has been mixed on the question during the past two months, with several professors arguing during open budget forums that they would rather preserve faculty and staff positions than get raises.
If we're really interested in any kind of economic justice - and I think we should be - I think those among us who are the highest paid need to be able to say
'I can give a little ' anthropology professor Gene Ammarell said at one of the forums.
Faculty Senate Chairman Joe McLaughlin said he wants senate to formally discuss the options because he heard those comments at the forums, but has also gotten input supporting raises.
I'm getting lots of feedback from people that we really need to do the raises at 2 percent and that's just as important to academic quality for many people because it's about remaining competitive and being able to retain and recruit high-quality faculty
McLaughlin said.
As a member of BPC, McLaughlin said he abstained from the vote Friday because he wants to give more faculty the opportunity to weigh in and because he thinks there are other options.
I didn't agree with the way the choice was being framed
McLaughlin said. We were basically being given a choice between two choices
both of which were going to erode academic quality
and I thought there were other areas of the budget that were less essential to teaching and research that could've been cut. That could still be cut.
Senate does have two other resolutions on its agenda for tomorrow, but McLaughlin said he wants to make sure there is plenty of time to discuss raises and that could mean postponing work on the other resolutions.
eg349206@ohiou.edu
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Emily Grannis
