The Size of the Slice of the Pie Does Matter

A recent article in the Cincinnati Enquirer by Kate Murphy examines the current state of faculty salaries in the region’s universities and beyond. John McNay, the president of the Ohio Conference of AAUP, is quoted at some length—and memorably—in the article: “Full-time professors at Ohio and Kentucky colleges, including three Greater Cincinnati universities, are making…

College Business Officers on the Future of Higher Education

BY BRIAN C. MITCHELL Earlier this month Inside Higher Education and Gallup cooperated to produce the third annual survey of college and university business officers on a range of “hot button” higher education topics. A total of 457 campus and system chief business and financial officers participated. The response from the for-profit community was weak…

WMU-AAUP on State Divestment From Higher Education

The following comments were delivered to the Western Michigan University (WMU) Board of Trustees on March 23 by WMU-AAUP President and AAUP national Council member Lisa Minnick.  They are reposted from the WMU-AAUP blog. One thing everyone in this room has in common is our shared investment in higher education as a public good. We…

Walker’s Wisconsin

Writing for WiscNews, Nicco Savidge attempts to provide an overview and a gauge of “the Extent of Scott Walker’s Impact on UW.” Here is the opening section of Savidge’s article: “Gov. Scott Walker has had a bigger impact on Wisconsin’s public universities than any governor in decades, and he is among the most aggressive governors…

“Thucydides” on Higher-Ed Funding

This “over the transom” piece is from a colleague who has chosen the pseudonym “Thucydides.” It owes a considerable debt—is in many respects an homage–to the legendary Chicago newspaper columnist Mike Royko. _________________________ Moose McGillicuddy wiped down the bar at his tavern. Moose’s was a typical downtown Ohio bar. Politicians, college students, construction workers, and…

“March Madness” Is Big Business

Here are some statistics from Erik Sherman’s April 2015 article for Fortune “College Basketball Coaches and Their Slam Dunk Salaries” [http://fortune.com/2015/03/21/college-basketball-coaches-and-their-slam-dunk-salaries/]. (Billy Donovan has since moved on from the University of Florida to the NBA.)   Duke University Coach: Mike Krzyzewski Total pay: $9,682,032 Maximum bonus: N/A University president pay: Richard H. Brodhead, $1.1 million Basketball…

My Questions for Chancellor White

BY HANK REICHMAN On February 29, California State University (CSU) Chancellor Tim White visited the CSU East Bay campus and addressed a public meeting of faculty, staff and students.  White was greeted by some 40 student and faculty demonstrators who later joined others in the audience.  As readers of this blog know, the CSU faculty…

New Alliance Defends CUNY

BY HANK REICHMAN “CUNY is for the People” read some of the signs at a highly-charged rally outside New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s midtown office in New York City yesterday. Organized by a new and broad coalition, CUNY Rising Alliance, the rally kicked off a community-based campaign to demand increased public investment in the City…