The staff editorial which ran on Feb. 20, titled “Do CSULB faculty deserve more pay?” expresses support for the faculty in their contract struggle, and that support is much appreciated. A few clarifications, however, are in order.
First, the California State University administration did walk out of bargaining sessions in July 2006, but the statutory process of mediation and fact-finding has continued.
Second, the editorial states that the California Faculty Association (CFA) claims on its Web site that “the tenure program works against other qualified professors reaching full-time status.” In fact, the CFA very much supports the tenure system, which puts professors through many years of rigorous evaluation and protects the crucial academic freedom of a university. CFA has pushed hard for more tenure-track faculty, with consideration given to qualified incumbent lecturers. The CFA also has worked hard to ensure that the 50 to 60 percent of the faculty currently on temporary status have some job security and benefits.
The CFA is also concerned about appropriate pay levels for all faculty. Faculty at all levels, but particularly senior levels, have made – and continue to make every day – significant contributions to the teaching, service, and research mission of the university. The editorial states that some tenured professors are working only part-time. Faculty positions may involve research and curriculum assignments that reduce teaching time, but I assure you that if a faculty member is part time, that faculty member makes a part-time salary.
Overall, however, your editorial shows great insight into some of the most serious problems faced in the CSU system. Faculty know they will make less in a teaching career than in the private sector, but faculty have accepted that tradeoff because they are committed to students and the mission of a public university. Faculty agreed to go without pay raises for several years because they acknowledged the CSU was having budget problems and wanted to make sure the money available went to instruction.
Since 2002, the faculty have received only one 3.5 percent pay raise, which did not come close to keeping up with inflation. The offer being made by the CSU administration will continue the trend of faculty salaries decreasing, when inflation is taken into consideration. We know that what changes students’ lives and prepares them for a successful future is a committed faculty.
It is important to invest adequate resources in faculty so that the degrees of our current CSULB students have real value.
Thank you again for your support of faculty.
– Elizabeth Hoffman, CSULB representative on the CFA board of directors
