[Vision2020] State Faculty Union Responds to Financial Crisis

[nickgier at roadrunner.com]

IFT HIGHER EDUCATION COUNCIL RESPONDS TO FINANCIAL CRISIS
 
On April 15, 2009 the Higher Education Council of the Idaho Federation of Teachers, AFT/AFL-CIO met in a phone conference to discuss the financial crisis.
 
Those present were Valia Tatarova, Idaho State University (physics); Lynn Lubamersky, Boise State University (history); Chris Riggs, Lewis-Clark State College (history); Lynne Haagensen, University of Idaho (art); Joyce Lider, North Idaho College (English); Susan Andrews, IFT Vice-President for Higher Education; and Nick Gier, IFT President. 
 
I. Salary Reduction Proposal. According to a legal opinion from the AFT national office, academic tenure protects base salary. Tenure is a property right and at least two court cases have recognized that base salary is part of that property. The IFT Higher Education Council voted to oppose any salary reductions for tenured faculty.  We join the BSU Faculty Senate President in vowing to file a case action suit if tenured faculty are forced to take a pay cut.  In a related decision the IFT Higher Education Council voted that classified staff, lecturers, and non-tenured faculty be exempt from salary reductions and proposed that salary savings be taken from those making more than $100,000.
 
II. Teaching positions should have priority over administrative positions.  Nation-wide administrative positions have generally grown at a greater rate than teaching positions.  The example of BSU is especially egregious: from 2005-2007 BSU had over 100 more administrators than its peers but 191 fewer faculty members instructing students than peer institutions.  Administrative salaries have also outpaced faculty pay.  Since 1982 the salaries of 11 top UI administrative positions have increased 260 percent while full professor salaries increased 198 percent.  (CPI for the period was 215.) (For more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/salaries.htm>.) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to recommend that administrative positions be cut before teaching positions.
 
III. Appropriated funds are for academics not athletics.  Since 1987 state subsidies for athletics at the UI has grown 338 percent while appropriations for Idaho higher education has grown 159 percent.  Currently the state subsidies for UI and ISU athletics are over $3 million.  Since 1999 private contributions to UI athletics rose 246 percent, indicating the potential for it to wean itself, as any non-academic program should, from its state subsidy. (For more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/athletics.htm>.) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to request that state monies for athletics on all Idaho campuses be phased out over 4-6 years.  
 
IV. Program reduction procedures must be revised.  In 2002 the Idaho State Board of Education (SBOE) instituted new procedures for program reduction.  At that time the IFT objected to a lack of protection for tenured faculty and requested that the procedures be revised.  As no revisions have been made, IFT president asked  in December 2008 for a legal opinion from the national office.  The response was that these procedures undermine tenure and do not comply with Idaho law. (For more see <www.home.roadrunner.com/~nickgier/ProgramReduction.htm>.) The IFT Higher Education Council voted to urge the SBOE to revise these procedures such that tenured faculty have the same protection as under the procedures for financial exigency.