Faculty Senate yesterday responded to a recent Ohio University choice to postpone a decision about whether to give faculty and staff raises next year.
Ordinarily, all non-bargaining university employees receive 3 percent raises each year to account for cost-of-living increases. This year, OU planned to add an additional $1.2 million in merit pay for faculty and staff.
Budget Planning Council, however, recommended earlier this month that OU delay deciding on the raises until the state announces its final funding decisions for next year. If OU committed to the raises now and the state then cut funding, OU would have to cut budgets and possibly jobs, said John Day, associate provost for Academic Budgeting.
Kathy Krendl, executive vice president and provost and co-chair the council, said administrators would also be affected by the decision.
That 3 percent raise pool includes all employee groups
she said, adding the council had a long discussion about calling for unity on the issue.
Faculty, however, expressed concern that some administrators would be able to wiggle out of the salary restrictions by signing new contracts for higher salaries.
English professor Joe McLaughlin, a faculty senator and member of the council, was the lone abstention from Budget Planning Council's unanimous vote. He presented two resolutions to the senate last night calling for the raises.
All we're trying to do here is help the university achieve the goals it set for itself in its own plan McLaughlin said. The Five Year Vision Ohio Implementation Plan labels increases in faculty compensation a high priority.
Senator Duane McDiarmid said the council recommendations sound like vague threats.
It sounds like the boogie man is coming and we better all cough up our wallets quick he said.Faculty also discussed options for evaluating OU President Roderick McDavis. Although the Board of Trustees has not asked for faculty input this year, the senate plans to conduct an evaluation anyway.
The Board of Trustees expects to discuss McDavis's evaluation and contract at its meetings this week.
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Emily Grannis
