Several faculty have asked me what I know about the statement in the Herald-Leader regarding potential budget cuts for higher ed if gambling legislation is not passed by the legislature. The exact figures were terrifying: 12% cuts the first year of the biennium and 34% cuts the second year.
The President spoke with the Senate Executive Council on Friday afternoon, and he believes what others of us suspected--the release of these figures was part of a strategy to build support for expanded gambling in the Commonwealth. If you've been reading the newspapers, you know that the expansion of gambling is not terribly likely at this point, so our legislature will have to figure out other ways of expanding revenue.
Still, the President believes that potential budget cuts will not reach the predicted levels, and I share his opinion. It is difficult not to be uneasy (if not downright frightened), but remember that
a. the Governor has shown consistent support for higher education;
b. higher education has some strong supporters in Frankfort;
c. MSU has some strong supporters in Frankfort;
d. President Andrews continues to take a conservative approach with MSU's internal budget.
So hang in there. We need to wait and watch (and lobby our representatives when the time comes), but don't let that 34% figure weigh you down.
Please continue to post responses to my faculty morale question.
Ron
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Faculty Morale?
In reply to my last posting, an anonymous reader comments that faculty morale is continuing to slip and offers some possible reasons for the trend.
I agree that morale is very low, although I have not been very successful in convincing the administration or the BOR that the morale issue goes beyond a general malaise caused by the gloomy economic situation we find ourselves in or the unusually large number of initiatives faculty have been forced to take on in the last couple of years (you know what they are, so I won't list them here). The anonymous reader claims that faculty are disenfranchised. I think that I would put it a different way: Many faculty feel disenfranchised for various reasons.
I would like to ask readers: How widespread is this feeling of disenfranchisement? What are some of the reasons for it? What will it take for conditions to change?
I'm really interested in reading some responses . . . .
I agree that morale is very low, although I have not been very successful in convincing the administration or the BOR that the morale issue goes beyond a general malaise caused by the gloomy economic situation we find ourselves in or the unusually large number of initiatives faculty have been forced to take on in the last couple of years (you know what they are, so I won't list them here). The anonymous reader claims that faculty are disenfranchised. I think that I would put it a different way: Many faculty feel disenfranchised for various reasons.
I would like to ask readers: How widespread is this feeling of disenfranchisement? What are some of the reasons for it? What will it take for conditions to change?
I'm really interested in reading some responses . . . .
Saturday, January 9, 2010
New Year's Resolution
Although I have tried to represent your interests to the best of my ability, I did not do a very good job of keeping up with this blog on a regular basis last semester. I promise to do a much better job from here on out with weekly updates at the least. The whole purpose of this blog is for me to learn your opinions about faculty issues at MSU. I will offer my opinions as a faculty member, but I hope that you will let me know what issues are on your minds.
Expect another post in the first week of classes. In the meantime, feel free to post comments or questions.
Ron
Expect another post in the first week of classes. In the meantime, feel free to post comments or questions.
Ron
Monday, September 28, 2009
BOR Meeting on Wednesday, 30 September
In case you're considering coming to the BOR meeting on Wednesday, 30 September, be aware that the meeting starts at 8:00 a.m. and that the Board plans to go into executive session immediately after the roll call to discuss the Presidential Evaluation being conducted this week. I think Dr. Moore, the consultant from Penson and Associates, is planning on this part of the meeting lasting around an hour and a half. Thus, the public part of the meeting will begin somewhere around 9:30.
The agenda has not been posted online yet, but I have seen a draft version. While the agenda will be fairly light, but there are a few important items, including the approval of personnel actions that resulted from the reorganizations. Also the Regents will receive a preliminary report on enrollment.
Ron
The agenda has not been posted online yet, but I have seen a draft version. While the agenda will be fairly light, but there are a few important items, including the approval of personnel actions that resulted from the reorganizations. Also the Regents will receive a preliminary report on enrollment.
Ron
Thursday, September 24, 2009
More on Tenure--at KCTCS and MSU
The Herald-Leader reports that Attorney General Jack Conway issued an opinion that KCTCS does not have the legal authority to eliminate tenure for newly hired faculty. We should all keep a close watch on this issue. Here is a link to the story: http://www.kentucky.com/latest_news/story/947848.html
For me (and remember that I come from a department that is made up of about half non-tenure-eligible positions), the most distressing part of the article is the last sentence: "KCTCS employs 5,000 faculty members, of which 890 are tenured and 168 more are on track for tenure." Surely the numbers weren't that different last fall before the issue arose. That means that, even with a tenure system in place, only about 21% of faculty were tenured or on track to receive tenure at KCTCS.
What are the numbers at MSU? I am trying to find out as part of my work on the SACS review. But, from the national numbers I've seen, tenure is already being eroded in significant ways with the employment of large numbers of adjunct and non-tenure-eligible faculty.
On a positive note, at the last BOR workshop, Dr. Andrews made a brief statement in support of tenure at MSU. I was encouraged.
Ron
For me (and remember that I come from a department that is made up of about half non-tenure-eligible positions), the most distressing part of the article is the last sentence: "KCTCS employs 5,000 faculty members, of which 890 are tenured and 168 more are on track for tenure." Surely the numbers weren't that different last fall before the issue arose. That means that, even with a tenure system in place, only about 21% of faculty were tenured or on track to receive tenure at KCTCS.
What are the numbers at MSU? I am trying to find out as part of my work on the SACS review. But, from the national numbers I've seen, tenure is already being eroded in significant ways with the employment of large numbers of adjunct and non-tenure-eligible faculty.
On a positive note, at the last BOR workshop, Dr. Andrews made a brief statement in support of tenure at MSU. I was encouraged.
Ron
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Please Participate in the Presidential Review
If you have not received information about the upcoming review of President Andrews on 30 September through 2 October, you may want to look at the official announcement here: http://www.moreheadstate.edu/news/release.aspx?id=49672
If you are not among those faculty invited to meet in person with Dr. John Moore, you can still participate in the process by sending a signed letter with your comments (see the announcement for Dr. Moore's address).
If you are not among those faculty invited to meet in person with Dr. John Moore, you can still participate in the process by sending a signed letter with your comments (see the announcement for Dr. Moore's address).
The whole point of this evaluation is to provide Dr. Andrews with the information he needs to improve in his role as our president. You can help him and the institution as a whole by offering your perspectives.
Ron
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Some Links
First, the original link to the WKU data on evaluation of administrators is not working. Let me give you a new version that should work: http://www.wku.edu/senate/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/2009FacWellSurveySummary.html
(Thanks to Robert Royar in my department for sorting this out.)
Second, I attended the Governor's Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship last week. At the conference, Kati Haycock, who works for the Education Trust, gave a talk full of eye-opening statistics about higher education in the U.S. and in Kentucky. Her presentation can be found here: http://www.cpe.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/667E5311-F5B2-4203-B003-4FE9FF298516/0/Haycockpresentation.pdf
Basically, we have made some important strides in access to higher education, but our graduation rates for lower-income students and for minority students is rather poor. There is a ton of information here that might be useful.
Ron
(Thanks to Robert Royar in my department for sorting this out.)
Second, I attended the Governor's Conference on Postsecondary Education Trusteeship last week. At the conference, Kati Haycock, who works for the Education Trust, gave a talk full of eye-opening statistics about higher education in the U.S. and in Kentucky. Her presentation can be found here: http://www.cpe.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/667E5311-F5B2-4203-B003-4FE9FF298516/0/Haycockpresentation.pdf
Basically, we have made some important strides in access to higher education, but our graduation rates for lower-income students and for minority students is rather poor. There is a ton of information here that might be useful.
Ron
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