Despite strong opposition to the implementation of a merit pay system at Fairfield, faculty here are having trouble organizing decent and sustained support within their own ranks.
Dr. George Lang, a professor of mathematics, recently wrote an article on the merit pay debate at Fairfield for the American Association of University Professors’ Connecticut newsletter, The Vanguard.
In an exclusive interview, Lang stated that there are a lot of faculty members “who are just disappointed” with the current situation. Although the faculty and administration recently agreed upon a new compensation package for next year, Lang said that “the next one is going to be the crucial one” as far as the clash between the faculty and administration is concerned.
Merit pay is a form of compensation that-in theory-rewards the best and brightest faculty members for various forms of achievement, such as publication in scholarly journals or speaking at academic conferences. But how to decide who gets rewarded-and who does not-has prompted faculty members to discuss various issues with respect to merit pay.
According to Lang, some faculty have expressed interest in inviting union representatives onto campus to discuss organizing options. However, because of a decision by the Supreme Court in 1980 concerning Yeshiva University, starting a labor union among faculty at a private university is extremely difficult, Lang said.
“If the administration is opposed to us unionizing, we would have a very hard time doing it in light of the Yeshiva decision.”
Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, said that the college is developing a plan to implement merit pay, but faculty involvement has not been strong.
“One way that we will come to the best plan is if the faculty will work with me. Otherwise we will have a good plan,” he said. “The plan need not be anywhere as bad as some people envisioned it.”
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