SEMO pay raises, public vs. private schools

I've gotten a few questions about faculty pay raises at Southeast Missouri State University. On Wednesday I reported the Board of Regents approved a budget that included a 3.25 percent pay raise for faculty and staff.

The 3.25 raise is an average for all faculty. It includes raises associated with promotions.

Out of the 3.25 average raise, 75 percent of it went to a base raise and 25 percent went to promotions. That means regular faculty members received a 2.44 percent raise. The remaining .81 percent was spent on promoting about 60 faculty members. Promotions, such as raising from assistant professor to professor, range from $5,000 to $7,900.

Here is a list of people who received promotions.

The university employs over 400 full-time faculty members, which means a majority of faculty will only receive the 2.44 percent raise.

Thank you, readers, for pointing this out. And thanks to Mona Hughey, budget office director, for providing me clarification.

I need your help!

With things slowing down for the summer, I'm working on some longer trend stories. I'm interested in finding any Cape Girardeau or Jackson residents that switched from public school to private school or home schooling recently. Please call me at 573-335-6611 ext. 123 or email me at lbavolek@semissourian.com if this pertains to you.

Vacation

I'll be out of the office the next week, returning July 21. Please direct questions to Managing Editor Bob Miller. He can be reached at bmiller@semissourian.com.

Untelevised work sessions?

A leftover item from the Cape Girardeau School Board retreat on Wednesday. I'll be interested to see how this progresses:

Some Cape Girardeau School Board members want to change the way they run their meetings. They are proposing holding an untelevised work session an hour before their regular session.

Stacy Kinder suggested the idea at a school board retreat Wednesday. She said the open work session would allow administrators to answer questions or explain items more fully before members vote.

Usually a couple of days before each meeting members are given a packet of information. The packet contains information they may need time to study to make an informed vote. Currently, if members have a question or want more information, they individually call an administrator. Kinder asked staff Wednesday if they get tired of separately answering the same questions. She said it might help administrators if they could answer all the questions at once.

Kyle McDonald, board president, asked "what would you be able to discuss in a study session you wouldn't do during a regular meeting?"

Laura Sparkman replied, "It wouldn't be televised." She also said later that parliamentary procedure would not have to be followed.

The meeting would still be open to the public, Dr. Steve Trautwein said. It would be "more relaxed," Tony Smee said.

The work session is not definite; it was only a suggestion that will require further discussion.

Readers: what do you think of the idea?

Other stories about the retreat:

School officials again seek long-term plan

Board spars over renaming of Alternative Education Center