Where do professors draw the line?
November 16, 2009 by Geneva ReidPosted in: Academics, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
The faculty at one university is being asked to teach designated seminars without pay.The University of California at Davis is already looking at a 20% cut in its undergraduate budget. Now, it’s asking faculty to give up the payment professors receive for teaching freshman seminars.
Not everyone’s on board with the plan.
Some faculty members have already earmarked the money ($1,500 to $2,000) for research.
Others agree to give up the stipend while admitting this is the equivalent of teaching “for free.”
The university is going through tough times. Its employees currently are taking unpaid furloughs. By asking instructors of the approximately 200 freshman seminars to do without their stipends, the school could save about $300,000 during the next year.
Good idea? Or has the school gone too far? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
HigherEdMorning delivers the latest HigherEd news once a week to the inboxes of over 200,000 HigherEd professionals.
Click here to sign up and start your FREE subscription to HigherEdMorning!
Loading ...
November 18th, 2009 at 1:23 pm
I want to know what the administrators are giving up. In a real crisis, it’s ok for faculty to sacrifice, but EVERYBODY should be sacrificing. All too often, the people in power ask for sacrifice but give up nothing themselves. Worse, they give themselves raises and bonuses.
November 18th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
so…what are the coaches in the athletic department of this school paid?
http://www.higheredmorning.com/economy-down-not-for-coaches
Our nation’s priorities need reordering.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
The schools get their most vulnerable untenured faculty to give up payment they’ve earned for courses that typically involve a reasonable amount of preparation and lots of papers to read and grade. Then the schools’ presidents announce it as an increase in “productivity” — whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean in a university setting — so that they, the presidents, deserve another raise or bonus.
November 17th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
I can just imagine how well this will play as the school is trying to recruit new faculty.
I suspect they chose not to pay for freshman classes because these are generally taught by the younger, newer faculty who have little seniority and even less clout on campus. The implied threat is “Play along or we will not renew your term appointment.”