Catch the Express (original) (raw)

The Blade talks about contract renegotiation time at Owens

The last contract expired Feb. 16. Bargaining sessions began about two weeks before that.

Tensions date back a lot further - many point to when the Owens Faculty Association was formed in 1989 and later when faculty gave then-President Dan Brown a vote of no confidence. Faculty members say they hoped things would change when the college hired a new president, Dr. Christa Adams, 2 1/2 years ago.

"There were great expectations when Dr. Adams came in. Now we're not so sure," said Arleen Hoag, an economics professor who has been at the college since 1973.

The contract's expired? STRIKE! STRIKE! STRIKE!

[...]

Dr. Adams said that among the faculty she has met with, "morale is high."

Ms. Russell and others point to problems with communication and administrative increases, both in the number of positions and in pay, that have widened the gulf with faculty.

I'd have pretty good morale if I thought she was digging a hole for herself, too.

The college president contends the administration has gone out of its way to add opportunities for faculty involvement.

A host of committees have faculty members, Dr. Adams said, and she occasionally blocks out time for sessions when anyone can talk to her. Last week, she made a round of meetings with departments.

"The most important part of communication is that we do it," Dr. Adams said.

Yeah, communication. They do it so well with students. Like how IT TOOK SIX WEEKS FOR DR. IVOSKA TO GET BACK TO ME WITH AN ANSWER ON ONE QUESTION. Like how I ASKED AT LEAST TWICE TO MEET WITH DR. ADAMS ON THE TUITION PROBLEM AND NEVER SAW HER.

Some faculty, however, suggest a culture of fear is developing that keeps people from speaking up. They point to two staff members who made negative comments about administrative pay raises during a September town hall meeting - both eventually were moved to other positions.

Derm Forde, one of the few people with the balls to say something, got shuffled around.

In August, the board of trustees, happy with Dr. Adams' performance, approved a $25,500 increase in perks for her.

Her salary remained unchanged at 189,280,about189,280, about 189,280,about46,000 above the state average for community college presidents, according to the Ohio Association of Community Colleges.

Three other top administrators received raises ranging from 3.8 percent to 7.4 percent and additional perks.

"I think everyone was pretty amazed by all the raises that administrators got last summer," said Anne Bullerjahn, an Owens professor of math and science.

The average full-time faculty member at Owens is paid $46,000, about the state average for community colleges, the association reported.

Not too long after the 13 Action News I-Team was out there, as I recall. Not that I'd know what the Board of Trustees was smoking -- they apparently "commended me on my initiative" or something like that. First time I heard of it was when I got around to reading the minutes of the meeting.