There was a minor error in the paper this morning about the Board of 
Trustees meeting yesterday. UTC was approved for a 4.1% increase in 
tuition, not 4.2. The other schools will see a 4.6% tuition increase 
because they will not have a $40 per year increase in sports (football) 
funding. We have a lot of out-of-town games this year and, despite the 
$800,000 in new money last year, there is still at least a $150,000 deficit 
in that part of the university...much less than the $400-500,000 deficits 
in past years. That is good news.

As you know, Chancellor Brown has invited response from the community about 
a plan to bring UTC athletic program expenses in line with resources by a 
possible move to the Ohio Valley Conference, which will mean less travel. 
This will save money and perhaps even raise the graduation rate as teams 
will be away from campus for a shorter time. If you have an opinion on 
this, please email Chancellor Brown and let him know.

Gavin Townsend and I attended the UT Board Meeting on Tuesday and 
Wednesday, and are encouraged by the mobilization of faculty on all 
campuses regarding President Petersen's salary plans. Many of us at UTC, 
perhaps half or more, may receive only 1%, and for half of the faculty 
(unless they received exceptional merit) that means less than the $600 
minimum promised to staff. Certainly our poorly compensated staff  deserves 
that increase, but it would have been nice to include faculty too in the 
minimum $600 when inflation is running above 3%.

Gavin met with other Presidents and Bob Levy, and I had a chance at the 
reception and dinner for Trustees to present our case to as many as 
possible, and I found them willing to listen and support us. At the full 
board meeting yesterday Trustee Karl Schledwitz made a plea for finding 
another 1% for across the board to bring it more in line with other state 
employees, and Trustee Spruell Driver and Lawrence Pfeffer (Faculty 
Trustee) questioned the wisdom of Dr. Petersen's "merit funding" plan. I 
have the feeling that others were also on our side, yet reluctant to speak 
out in public against an ill-conceived policy. Administrators charged with 
implementing Petersen's plan at other campuses are just as concerned as we 
are about morale. Other than Dr. Petersen himself, I met no one who thought 
that dividing the pool was the best way to fund merit rewards.

We faculty are now united, as on all four campuses Senates have passed 
resolutions supporting COLA raises before diverting funding to reward 
merit. This is an unprecedented show of system-wide faculty unity, and it 
should lead to joint measures and actions next fall. In the meantime, I 
would urge you to email Trustees Karl Schledwitz and Spruell Driver and 
express your appreciation for their understanding of our plight and their 
willingness to speak out at the Board Meeting yesterday:

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Thanks,
Richard





Richard Rice

UTC Senate President (until June 30)

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