For the first time ever, I'm posting something to RAVEN.  People who know me (and they are many because I've been here for 28 years), will know I don't take to this public forum lightly, especially with a negative tone.  I'm generally optimistic, loyal to my leaders, and believe people at the top have the information they need and have earned the right to make decisions on our behalf.  And I've trusted them to make good ones.  But, even the eternal optimistic in me can't continue with this blind acceptance.  The administration in fact makes many bad decisions, decisions that affect other people and programs, and they do so without consulting with those who can provide useful information.  But, this is only one aspect of administrative decision-making that continues to cause a free-fall in moral here at UTC.

I was appalled a couple of weeks ago to read about Missy Crutchfield's salary.   Though I certainly don't work here for the money and I have no delusions that my job is just as "important" as Ms. Crutchfield's, it's nevertheless a sharp slap in the face to know I would need a 21% raise to make even HALF her salary.  While I'm certain Ms. Crutchfield's duties will be extensive and require a great deal of tact and diplomacy, I find it difficult to justify a salary that is so far out of line with salaries of other exempt staff and find it unconscionable that we think it's acceptable to pay $83,900 to one who occupies a "servant role" to the Chancellor.  

So now the gross inequity of salaries at UTC is brought home again.   In our current financial crisis (I remember a top administrator telling us we're "on food stamps" and need to "tighten our belts"), it seems we can offer raises to administrators because they are making less than "market value."  Why should the administration be concerned with market value for a few non-academic people because we "load more people up with more responsibilities," according to Richard Brown?  Why are we not instead looking at our large class sizes and failure to meet our obligations to our students by not offering the classes they need and are paying the University to provide? And, by the way, let's look at the faculty who are loaded up with more responsibilities because of those larger class sizes and at how far below market value most of their salaries are.

Unfortunately, this is indicative of the climate here at UTC.  I am concerned not so much with my own salary, but that the administration continues to send the message that academics takes a back seat to their special projects, community agendas and bigger salaries for administrators.  I am concerned about the extremely low morale among faculty and staff at our University and what seem to be skewed priorities of the administration. We have weathered bad times before and these are among the worst.  But never has morale been so low.  Somehow our obligation to provide a quality, affordable undergraduate education has been lost.  I embrace change, "fresh blood," and "new ideas"  (the Provost's current buzz words), but only if it makes us better.  But we're not better, only struggling to stay afloat.  I'm also all for people making more money, but not at the expense of academics; after all, the education of our students in our charge and that's where any extra dollars we have are most needed.

Debbie Bell
Assistant Director
University Honors Program
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
615 McCallie Avenue
Chattanooga, TN  37403
(423) 425-4130
Fax: (423) 425-2128