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Budgeting leads nowhere for faculty

editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak
editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak

For the first time in years, University of La Verne faculty will walk away from the school year unsure of how their paycheck will look for next fall. Upon the arrival of annual faculty contracts many members of the University’s staff were disappointed to find that due to a delay in the budgeting process, they would receive the same pay as this year, with no increase.

A memo sent out by President Stephen Morgan on April 21 apologized for the delay and explained that this year’s unusual circumstances will cause faculty members to receive contracts before the actual budget has been completed.

A combination of lost revenue due to under-enrollment in the University’s off campus adult education programs and the budget cuts earlier this year were two factors that have contributed to the problems.

In order to look at possible faculty wage increases, the deans and vice presidents will have to be aware of and establish accurate estimates for expected revenue for the 1997-98 school year and look at expenditures that will automatically increase in order to maintain a working university.

Even if there is a slight tuition raise and enrollment is high, it does not necessarily mean the faculty will reap benefits.

What is worse is that if faculty wages are kept the same as the cost of health care goes up, faculty may lose income because money will be taken from their pay checks.

It is important that faculty receive a slight raise to keep up with the cost of living, especially if students end up paying more tuition. Our faculty, who do all the teaching, should see some of that money. According to the Compensation Task Force, full professors at ULV are 15.2 percent in salary behind what other full professors make elsewhere. One problem with this, according to Dr. Ann Wichman, associate professor of sociology and faculty representative to the Board of Trustees, is that at ULV, most professors teach an overload of classes and this type of “moonlighting” as she called it, “leads to burnout.”

Although the Campus Times realizes that sometimes this process can take a long time, the University should make the commitment to provide its employees, especially the faculty, a salary that keeps up with the cost of living and closer to the range of other comparable institutions.

Just as students should not leave the University unaware of what their financial aid packages will look like for next year, employees should also know what their actual pay will be. An apology in a memo that gives a poor excuse for overdue budget meetings is unacceptable.

Last year, a task force was created that would work exclusively to bring faculty salaries closer to other comparable institutions. It was supposed to go over a five-year period, yet already in the second year they can not give faculty a contract that represents next year’s pay. Instead, Chief Financial Officer Steven Grey believes that the budgeting process will hopefully be complete in late May.

We have some of the most dedicated professors who choose to teach here because they believe in the mission of the University. They are the trumpeters of education, they teach the leaders of tomorrow and deserve the very best.

“It’s easy for faculty salaries to take second place,” said Dr. Wichman. “Salary raises don’t show in the way that new buildings show or new sports equipment show. But I believe that Steve Morgan is doing what he can to fix the inequities and is sincere in addressing the problems that really need to be addressed.”

If the buildings were closed and the maintenance of the school was not up to par, the professors would still be here to teach the students. In essence, that is what makes a University.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Stephanie Lesniak
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