There has been lots of talk about universities needing to make sacrifices lately. Governor Snyder suggested there be “shared sacrifice” in the pain coming from the budget cuts. At Eastern Michigan University, President Susan Martin has echoed this sentiment. What would shared sacrifice mean at EMU?
The Echo ran a two-part series last week displaying several EMU administrators’ pay. Reviewing some, such as President Martin’s, I shrugged my shoulders and thought, “Meh.”
After what the university has endured over the decade, I thought if she just raises money and keeps us out of trouble while being open and honest she will do fine. But some salaries were eye-popping.
When I read social work professor Don Loppnow made $267,506 last year – a $60,000 increase from last year – I thought he must have been absent when all that “sacrifice” was handed out. Contracts like this make the administration appear out of touch with reality. I can assure you my neighbors did not receive – nor expect – a $60,000 raise this year or last.
Now, it’s true Professor Loppnow served in administrative roles in the past, but I cannot see how a $60,000 raise was justified when he returned to the classroom. And I realize I’m assuming here, but I have a gut feeling parents paying their child’s tuition will have a hard time accepting it, too.
I’m sure this was all included as part of a contract entitling him to it. But in invoking “sacrifice,” I’d expect this contract to be renegotiated. After all, sacrifice is the act of giving something up for the sake of something else. And isn’t this exactly what will be demanded of the faculty? It’s only fair that all contracts be open for renegotiation.
A few weeks ago, an email from Provost Jack Kay was sent to department heads and faculty displaying all the programs set to be cut or consolidated. They included programs in the arts, sciences and management.
Perhaps student enrollment for these programs is so low they don’t warrant continued existence; however, these cuts will have direct impact in some students’ academic career, and the pain won’t stop there.
President Martin said although they’ve kept tuition low, “we’re probably going to have to have some type of increase… [the cuts will] impair some things like financial aid increases.”
Looks like EMU students will receive their share of sacrifice.
Deans and department heads have been asked to evaluate their departments and cut from programs not supporting EMU’s core mission. I hope the administration does the same, as many offices look top-heavy, which brings me to another issue.
I suggest my classmates begin examining the EMU Board of Regent’s meetings. In my opinion, they have made some questionable decisions in the past months affecting the budget. One in which was another example of being oblivious to economic reality.
Vicki Reaume serves as secretary to the Board of Regents and is listed as a vice president. I’m not even sure what that means. Does she check email? Does she take minutes at their meetings? Vice president of what? In any case, after her predecessor, Jacqueline Kurtz, left EMU, the Board of Regents hired Reaume to replace her in November 2010.
Reaume worked in the Alumni Relations office making around $96,000, nearly the same as Kurtz before the switch. But, for some reason the Board decided to give Reaume a $30,000 raise. She now has a $126,500 salary. I wonder how that compares to secretaries in the private sector. For some secretaries, whose yearly salary is $30,000, it would be like winning the lottery.
I doubt Mr. and Ms. Taxpayer will justify this decision, either. Furthermore, how can university administrators think to be taken seriously by the Michigan Legislature when these things are coming to light?
Can some of these “vice president” positions be filled with graduate assistants to cut cost? Remember, sacrifices must be made.
I’m not trying to single out Mr. Loppnow or Ms. Reaume per se. I could list many other examples of administrative personnel costs seemingly out of whack with economic reality, I just don’t have room.
The Detroit Free Press reported last month university pay for administrators soared 30 percent in the last five years, while administrative jobs grew by 19 percent.
That does not resemble my definition of shared sacrifice.
We know sacrifice is coming. The public voted for cuts in November, and that’s what its political leaders are delivering. Students’ tuition will rise, and programs will be cut. Faculty pay and benefits will be reduced and vacant positions left permanent.
The question is will the sacrifice truly be shared at EMU? Will administrators look within their own offices to shed costs? Will they examine alternative options to hiring new $100,000-plus salaried employees?
Last year I called on faculty to end their threats of a strike and accept the harsh, economic reality that the union would need to make concessions. Now, it’s the administrators’ turn. We can only ask they be fair in distributing the pain.
