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Fact-finder favors CMU in Faculty Association salaries, benefits

A state fact-finder is supporting administration proposals on salaries and health care benefits in its negotiations with the Faculty Association.

Fact-finder Barry Goldman’s non-binding set of findings came Tuesday in an attempt to break an impasse in the four-month old contract talks, in which mediation already has failed.

In findings for CMU’s proposed zero-percent salary increase for 2011-12 and small increases in years two and three, Goldman dismissed FA’s contention that CMU has $228 million in unrestricted net assets that could be used to fund more generous raises.

“The CMU proposal of a zero increase in the first year and modest increases in subsequent years is not an unreasonable offer, all things considered. Circumstances (in the Michigan economy) are bad and getting worse. It would be extremely unwise for CMU to eat its seed corn,” Goldman said of the union’s contention.

He also called CMU’s position on maintaining all employees on a less expensive heath care insurance plan “eminently fair,” saying that if FA members want the more expensive MESSA plan, its members alone should pay the difference.

Further, Goldman said FA’s proposal to give 12-month faculty a $600 signing bonus once the contract is resolved might be illegal.

“Laudable as that goal may be, there is some question whether the proposed bonus would violate Public Act 54’s prohibition against retroactive benefit increases,” he said. “I find the record before me does not justify the bonus.”

Regarding retirement, the fact-finder sided with the FA and rejected CMU’s proposal for retirement contribution for those on a 10-percent plan to be based on base salary only.

“I do not see any compelling reason for the change to contributions calculated on base salary only,” he said. “The fact that the University could save the money is not sufficient to justify eliminating an existing, bargained-for benefit.”

The fact-finder agreed with CMU’s argument to eliminate language regarding payments to faculty members attaining terminal degrees.

Goldman agreed with the FA’s promotion increment argument that CMU’s proposal to roll back amounts to pre-2006-07 levels and allow the increments to rise back to 2010-11 levels over the next two years would penalize those who obtained promotions in 2011 and 2012. The loss to base would compound those faculty members for the rest of their careers, according to the FA’s argument.

“Perhaps, as the university argues, the promotion increments currently in place are more generous than "market."

But I am going to assume that those increments were bargained into existence by competent negotiators acting in good faith,” he said. “The record before me does not show sufficient grounds to roll them back.” Goldman recommended the faculty members are required no more than one annual meeting with each non-tenured faculty member.

He agreed with CMU that annual meetings with non-tenured faculty are a good idea, but he also agreed with the FA that it was “redundant and pointless” to require a faculty member to attend conferences for assistance to bargaining unit members and meetings on reappointment, tenure and promotion policies in the same year.

College deans can call meetings with faculty members whenever necessary.

He recommended current contract language on salary adjustment and reappointment applications.

“I see no compelling reason on this record either to extend the period before a faculty member can apply for a salary adjustment or to reduce the number of reappointment applications required before a tenure application would be required,” he said.

Goldman recommended a blending of the CMU and FA proposals on tuition remission.

He said he sees no compelling reason to increase the number of eligible credits or extend the program to courses taken outside of CMU, and he also sees no compelling reason the program should not apply to CMED or any other CMU program if it is capped as the FA suggests.

Goldman did not give a recommendation on recognizing coaches hired on or after July 1, 2011 or faculty who are primarily appointed to the College of Medicine or other CMU First Professional Degree programs.

He agreed with the FA’s argument that the issue of unit composition was not properly before him, and adopted Fact Finder William Long’s ruling in Schoolcraft Memorial Hospital and Michigan Nurses Association that the proposal will not be addressed in the report because both parties have not submitted the issue to the fact finder.

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A-Senate adopts resolution dissenting from further development of College of Medicine

In a hushed auditorium on Tuesday, David Smith addressed what he called the “elephant in the room.”

It was regarding the College of Medicine. Smith, a professor of philosophy and religion, presented a resolution, which stated, “All work by, toward, and on behalf of the College of Medicine pertaining to curriculum, non-curricular policies and procedures, and faculty recruitment be suspended until such time as the above concerns have been addressed by and to the satisfaction of the Academic Senate.”

The resolution was approved with a 76 percent vote to halt further action. However, it is unclear whether or not the motion will legitimately suspend action on the CMED or remain symbolic.

Phil Squattrito, a former-chairman and chemistry professor, said although the A-Senate has control over curriculum, there is debate over who has authority over CMED. The A-Senate did pass the CMED curriculum last year, but it was expecting to be more involved with the process.

“At the heart of this motion is to get the university to be more forthcoming on the medical school,” Squattrito said.

A-Senate’s constitution states insofar as it is charged to “Consider any matter relevant to the general welfare of the faculty” and to “Deliberate and legislate upon matters of concern to the faculty, involving students, staff, instruction, financial policies, university planning and university organization when related to academic affairs.”

The constitution states several concerns they can deliberate, including: Standards for appointment, promotion, tenure, and dismissal of faculty members; except as  covered by collective bargaining agreements.

It is still undecided if CMED faculty will be included in the faculty association, since the contract negotiations are at an inpasse.

Squattrito, Director of Public Relations Steve Smith and A-Senate Chairman Jim McDonald all said the area in the constitution was gray and were unsure what authority A-Senate has in the matter.

The concerns regarded the university’s lack of detailed account about the feasibility of the CMED with the A-Senate, faculty and students. The main complaint of the motion was the university’s lack of public communication and low participation with faculty and students.

McDonald had been asked to withhold debate over the motion. He would not disclose where this decision came from.

“I think it’s been discussed in my parliamentary inquiries that perhaps it is my discretion to do this without debate,” he said.

University President Ross said he wished there had been open debate on the topic. As the next step, he said he would discuss the motion with the administration and get back to the A-Senate.

Ross said he would do his best to respond before the Liaison Committee on Medical Education’s visit to campus Nov. 13.

One of the concerns included in the motion included the absence of Ernest Yoder, founding dean of CMED, from A-Senate meetings since Jan. 8. Yoder did attend Tuesday’s meeting and said he has a busy schedule and unless the A-Senate’s agenda specifically deals with CMED, he has other work to do.

“I don’t intend to devalue the Academic Senate,” Yoder said. “It’s just that I can’t always be here.”

Student Government Association President Vince Cavataio said he would like to see the administration answer the senators’ questions.

“I will stand firm that any increase in student tuition due to CMED is absolutely unacceptable,” said the Shelby Township senior in an email. “Having said that, if CMED can be funded from outside sources and maintained by the tuition of students attending that college, I take no issue with that.” Arguments insue over FA, administration

At one point in the meeting, Laura Frey, Faculty Association president and associate professor of counseling and special education,  corrected University President George Ross when he stated the faculty went on a strike.

“Just a semantic clarification, it was a legal work stoppage,” Frey said.

“With all due respect, I disagree,” Ross responded. “It was an illegal strike and you can put that in the record.”

The meeting took another turn as Physics professor Joseph Finck sarcastically questioned Ross on what his cabinet was made of.

“Is it made of tall oaks like faculty that can withstand all the changes that are happening? Is it made of the young sapling maples that are peaceful students that really do speak their mind?” Finck asked.

After laughter from those in attendance, he continued by saying, “Or is it made of weeping willow administrators who bow and sway with the wind or deans who are invasive species? The question is, is this cabinet someone who is beholding to you or are you getting advice from people who will speak freely?”

Ross stood by the work his administration has done.

“That was real cute,” he responded. “There is not one yes person there, if that’s a direct question, that’s a direct answer.”

“With all due respect to professionals ... it is composed of a group of professionals dedicated to this university and students,” Ross said. “Our provost has dedicated 33 years of life to this university. Gary Shapiro doesn’t bow to anybody. We don’t always agree. I invite that. I respect the people that I work with.” Other business

Claudia Douglas, interim vice president of Academic Affairs, spoke on the strategic planning process as a co-chairperson.

Douglas asked the senate why it bothers to engage in strategic planning.

Douglas brought up CMU 2010 Vision Fund which, according to the Office of the Vice Provost for Academic Affairs website, “was established by the president to demonstrate institutional commitment to the outcomes of the five priorities in the strategic plan. One million per year for the five years of the plan (totaling $5 million) was allocated to provide seed money for innovative projects that promised to move CMU toward successfully achieving those priorities.”

In order to prevent this from happening again, it’s essential to engage multiple parties at many levels, she said.

“It was something that maybe you didn’t engage in, it was something that you felt might have been underfunded, maybe you felt some of the initiatives just fell flat,” Douglas said.

A Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering degree, and a Master of Science in Administration-Research Administration, Graduate Concentration and Graduate Certificate were added as new programs.

Deleted programs included BSED Elementary certificate history major K-8, and a Teaching Elementary K-8, BSED Elementary Certificate history minor.

university@cm-life.com

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College of Business Administration ranks well in Academic Prioritization report

By Mike Nichols Senior Reporter

The College of Business Administration ranked as an overall favorable program in preliminary Academic Prioritization released Thursday.

Karl Smart, business information systems chairman, said the data was collected by forms filled out by the faculty and deans. The forms looked at programs’ demand, the student enrollments for the past five years, the role of the professors, the occupational projection and other qualifications.

Smart said he wrote the majority of the narratives that were submitted to Provost Gary Shapiro. Smart said no one has brought forward appeals to the findings.

“No one has voiced complaint,” Smart said. “The faculty were pleased with what the ratings were.”

The college designed a new international business and sustainable development minor and applied business practices minor.

Charles Crespy, CBA dean, said in an email the prioritization was essentially developing a road map for the future of the programs.

In an email sent to his staff soon after the report was released, Crespy said the department had already done a respectable job redesigning their programs. 

When it came time to prioritize, the faculty and staff were already ready to rank their programs, he said.

“There’s really no surprise,” Crespy said. “Most of the faculty in the programs that were likely to see some retrenchment were aware of that.”

Crespy said the college had a global business minor that became obsolete after the creation of a newer and more current international business and sustainable development minor. The new program helped students understand money as well as sustainable impact.

The new program was ranked a category 3 and the old was ranked a category 5.

It was a perfect example of why prioritization is needed, Crespy said.

“We have a program now that addresses issues that are important today that weren’t issues yesterday,” he said. “That’s probably the best example of what prioritization is about.”

The operations management BS in BA major is ranked a 5, and will be relocated to another program.

It is one of the smallest majors in the college with 21 signed majors this fall, Shapiro wrote in the report.

“The curriculum has not been significantly revised for decades,” Shapiro said. “One of the four regular faculty will retire in 2012.”

The marketing BS in BA major with a retail strategy concentration is ranked a five as well.

It is a small program with little added value to students, Shapiro said, department lacks faculty expertise in this area.

The retail management major BS in BA also received a 5, and Shaprio said there was no need for the program.

“Retailing major provides little if any additional value for program graduates. Retailers hire from all majors,” he said.

The gaming and entertainment concentration of hospitality services administration BS in BA received a 5 since only 9 students selected the program in Spring 2011.

Many business students did not seem to notice the prioritization release.

“I hadn’t even heard about it,” said Canton junior Brad LaRose.

LaRose is studying accounting and said all he heard was the majority of the accounting staff were ready to retire.

Traverse City junior Jennifer Terbrack, also  studying accounting, said she thinks prioritization was good because if professors are ready to retire, a new wave of younger professors could come in.

Terbrack, along with every CMU student, has the documents available to her online, but she said she has not looked at it.

“I got an email, but I didn’t really read it,” she said. university@cm-life.com

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Provost Shapiro details prioritization process at forum

By Mike Nichols Senior Reporter

The preliminary prioritization report of Central Michigan University is going through its round of analysis by the CMU community.

Provost Gary Shapiro, the author of the report, held an open forum at 4 p.m. Monday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium. About 50 people attended to ask him questions about the implications of the report.

According to the report, about one third of CMU’s academic programs are listed to either receive less support or be targeted for elimination. Shapiro will turn in his finalized report to University President George Ross in December and expects to make the changes starting in the spring semester.

Shapiro said four aspects determined the ranking of the colleges: quality, importance, potential for growth and potential for improvement.

Faculty made reports on their programs and gave them to the deans, meaning no major surprises should be in the rankings, Shapiro said.

“In most cases, we accepted the rankings of the department,” he said. “It should be no surprise for anyone when they say, ‘I rated my program a three, and then my dean gave me a three and it’s ranked at a three.’”

Prioritization dealt only with currently existing programs with one exception: the College of Medicine. Shapiro said it was a unique category and they had to approach it differently. Although not in use, Shapiro said it did deserve its priority one ranking.

“We looked at it in terms of potential costs and benefits,” Shapiro said. “Yes, it’s a priority one program.”

Communications and Fine Arts Dean Salma Ghanem asked about students currently enrolled in programs targeted for elimination.

Shapiro said the university has an ethical commitment to students currently in such programs and appropriations would be made for them. In some cases, the university might offer lower enrollment for a class or use a directive reading course.

Whatever they decide for each program, Shapiro said the students are more important than the costs.

“Even though it might cost us some dollars in the short term, we need to do it ethically for those students,” he said. “They’ll be able to complete their courses.”

Jeff Davies, a Commerce sophomore, was one of a few students to attend the forum. He went because he said he was interested in which programs were going to be cut.

Davies, who is studying Broadcast and Cinematic Arts, said he was pleased to see his program was ranked in Priority 1. He felt academic prioritization was a good process that would help the university move forward.

“I’m pretty excited they’re doing something,” he said. “I agree we need to focus on certain areas to change and develop.”

Shapiro said the university first discussed the prioritization process in July 2010. The plan was finalized that November and began in January. Although he had previously said there was no former prioritization, Shapiro said he was mistaken and he thinks a form of it took place in the early 1990s.

In a meeting with Central Michigan Life, Shapiro said the possibility of using academic transformation, in this case using more online resources to cut university costs, was considered by the administration as a separate initiative and was not related to prioritization.

Shapiro said it was difficult to mark some programs to be cut, but it is best for the future of CMU. Although some might say their program is just as important as all the others, Shapiro said it is not the case.

“The answer, although it’s not politically correct, is no,” he said.

university@cm-life.com

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Fact finder sides with CMU admins on economic issues

By Theresa Clift University Editor 

A state fact finder’s report supports the CMU administration’s proposals on salaries and health care benefits in the negotiations with the Faculty Association.

Fact-finder Barry Goldman’s non-binding set of recommendations came Monday in an attempt to break an impasse in the contract talks, in which mediation already has failed.

Six issues remain unresolved. Goldman sided with the university on the issues of benefits and salary.

CMU proposes to pay the same amount for FA health care as all other employees and give FA members the choice to pay the difference if they choose the more expensive MESSA insurance.

CMU proposes a zero increase in salary this year and modest increases in subsequent two years.

Goldman also agreed with CMU’s proposal not to grant 12-month faculty a $600 signing bonus.

However, Goldman sided with the FA on the issue of retirement, which proposed to keep the current contract language.

On the issues of tuition remission, salary adjustments for promotion and completion of appropriate terminal degrees, Goldman recommended a combination of both proposals, or declined to give recommendations.

The FA went on strike after its contract expired June 30.

university@cm-life.com

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CMU department chairs blast College of Medicine

By Annie Harrison Senior Reporter 

The Council of Chairs is requesting to meet with the Liaison Committee on Medical Education accreditation site team to voice concerns about the College of Medicine, according to documents obtained by Central Michigan Life.

In a letter dated Oct. 19, the chairpeople of some 36 academic units at Central Michigan University listed multiple concerns about CMED.

The letter was signed by Brigitte Bechtold, chairwoman of the Council of Chairs and the department of sociology, anthropology and social work, and undersigned by the rest of the members.

The council wants to meet with the LCME when the site team visits campus Nov. 13 through 16.

Bechtold said she did not know who gave the letter to CM Life and would not comment further.

In the letter, Bechtold and the undersigned chairpeople and members said the addition of a medical school did not receive campus-wide discussion before it was passed “almost clandestinely as an add-on agenda item at a meeting of the board of trustees in summer 2008.”

The council said the campus community’s involvement has been limited since the board of trustees approved CMED.

It said CMU has not been able to raise significant new funds for CMED, unlike Oakland University and Western Michigan University which have found success in fundraising for their new medical schools.

It appears unrestricted funds the university has accumulated from tuition increases and academic unit taxation are earmarked for CMED, the council said.

The administration has been able to save “minuscule sums of money” by not extending the faculty contract that expired June 30, the letter states. It also said the administration has pushed to exclude CMED faculty from the Faculty Association bargaining unit, which would create different classes of faculty.

It said the CMED dean and associate deans do not attend semi-monthly Academic Senate meetings, further adding to the perception of separation between CMED and other campus units.

The Academic Senate is the university’s body of joint governance over the curriculum, which includes CMED. The council said other campus units have received budget reductions at the expense of CMED that are likely to diminish CMU’s overall academic standing, including inadequate resources, higher tax rates on gross tuition revenues and a reduction in tenured and tenure-track faculty.

It said faculty are concerned their programs are being “bled excessively” to pay for CMED.

CMU Board of Trustees Chairwoman Sarah Opperman declined comment since she said she was unfamiliar with the letter, and had a lack of background knowledge on the subject.

Director of Public Relations Steve Smith did not return calls in time for publication.

university@cm-life.com

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