This message contains excerpts from a message I just sent to my colleagues in
the College of Engineering and Computer Science. After further reflection, I
decided that this is a topic which needs to be discussed campus-wide. I offer
my thoughts for your consideration and debate.
Joe Dumas
Faculty Senator, College of Engineering and Computer Science
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An update on the motion presented by Fritz Efaw at the Faculty Senate meeting today:
Fritz Efaw wrote in a message to Faculty Senators yesterday:
>>>>> The UTC Faculty Senate endorses an across-the-board increase of $1200 to
>>>>> the base pay of every employee of the University of Tennessee as part of
>>>>> any salary adjustment in the coming fiscal year, as provided in two
>>>>> bills with bi-partisan sponsorship currently before the state
>>>>> legislature--HB126 and SB790.
>>>
>>> You can read the bills for yourself at these addresses:
>>>
>>> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/SB0790.pdf
>>>
>>> http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BILL/HB0126.pdf
By a voice vote on my motion to table, Dr. Efaw's original motion as stated
above was tabled. Before the vote, one of my colleagues presented a concern
similar to one I had received via e-mail:
> If these are bills being sponsored by two members of the state legislature,
> why is it necessary for UTC Faculty Senate to endorse (or reject) these
> bills? They will either pass or fail based on their merit and be
> prioritized with other state budget needs.
The Senator in question made a statement to the gist of "why are we going around
our administration, the UT system, the Board and THEC on this ... we should be
working with our administration, not alienating them."
I voiced a concern about the motion itself being presented for action so
quickly, without the general faculty being informed of the issue or having
adequate time to discuss it with their Senators. My colleagues in the College
of Engineering and Computer Science would not have known about the motion had I
not forwarded Dr. Efaw's message to them; he did not post it to RAVEN for
general faculty and staff distribution. I don't know how many, if any, faculty
or staff in other divisions were aware of it at all. Another colleague wrote:
> Thank you for bringing this to the faculty's attention. It would seem to me
> that having the senate endorse specific legislation involving a pay increase
> that has nothing to do with merit, with no notification of all faculty is
> not something that should be voted on with 24 hours notice.
I also expressed concerns about the wording of the bills themselves. They are
extremely broad, referring to a $1200 raise for "each employee of the University
of Tennessee system and the state university and community college system."
There is no mention of full-time vs. part-time employees, adjuncts, etc.
Conceivably, the bill could be construed to include not only full-time faculty
and staff but also TAs, RAs, student workers, and so on.
My second, related concern is that no "fiscal note" (cost estimate) yet exists
for the bill. (For updates, you can check the state's web site at
http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/ , click on "Legislation" and search for
SB0790 or HB0126.) While raises would be nice (I'm sure any of us could use an
extra $1200), they come at a cost to the taxpayers and/or our students. (By the
way, if such an estimate *did* exist, we might have some idea of how many
employees are covered by the increase.) And not only do we not know what the
bill would cost, but with TennCare reform still very much up in the air, we do
not know whether the state will have the money to fund it. Thus, it is
premature and (in my opinion) irresponsible to support or oppose the bill at
this stage.
As I commented during the meeting, as faculty we try to teach our students to
gather all the relevant facts and carefully consider those facts before making
informed decisions. If we jump into supporting or opposing a measure without
taking time to get all the facts and consider the pros and cons, what kind of
example are we setting? I am glad we will now have more time for intelligent
consideration of this significant issue.
The motion to endorse these bills has been tabled at least until the next
Faculty Senate meeting two weeks from today (March 3). As there is a chance
that it will be taken off the table and reconsidered, I would appreciate any
comments, pro or con, between now and then as I attempt to represent the wishes
of my constituents and promote the well-being of the University and our state.
Joe Dumas
--
"One man with courage is a majority." -- Thomas Jefferson
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