SOUTHEAST FACULTY SENATE ADOPTS MERIT-PAY PLAN

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Members of the Faculty Senate at Southeast Missouri State University gave final approval Wednesday to a much-debated merit pay plan.

The plan, which will get one final look by the Senate after wording is cleaned up, will be sent to the administration for consideration as part of the University's budget process.

Under the merit pay plan, faculty members would receive an across-the-board pay raise of at least 3 percent annually for each of the next three years. In addition, faculty members would receive fringe benefits and $1,000 in merit pay awarded annually in those years to eligible faculty.

The University would assure a total annual merit-pay increase of 5 percent under the plan. The funds would be set aside in the budget process the same way that educational and promotional increases are handled.

It also was pointed out that negotiations would continue for faculty and staff salary increases, and that those increases would not be tied to the merit plan. Merit-pay increases would be added to faculty member's base salaries.

During about one hour of discussion before final plan approval, faculty senators discussed whether appeals of merit pay should be handled at the university or college level; whether all or one evaluation category of professional development, service, and teaching effectiveness, should be considered in awarding merit pay; and whether individual departments should have flexibility to set their own guidelines for awarding merit pay.

An amendment was defeated that would have taken the appeals process away from a single university committee and replace it with a committee in each college. Also, an amendment passed that assures that promotions and tenure wouldn't be denied on the grounds of failure to receive merit pay.

Senators also discussed whether approval of the merit pay plan would do any good, given the university's tight financial condition.

"We are starting to legislate a program the University can't afford," said Senator Albert Hayward.

Hayward said that after the third year, the University would have to seek an additional $3.5 million to continue the program. The total cost of the program would be about $4 million, he said. "Where is the University going to get that?"

But Senator Paul Cherulnik said the University administration always seems to find a way to fund new programs, despite complaints of insufficient money.

Senator Bruce Parrish said Provost Les Cochran had indicated at a previous meeting the administration might support a 2 percent across-the-board merit pay increase, but didn't guarantee support for a 3 percent hike.

But Senator Charles Wiles said it was time to act, and that the senate should send a proposal to the administration "and let them come back to us" if necessary. "We need to take action now and deal with any changes later," he added.

Senator Marlin McCutchan and others argued that since the bill provided for across-the-board merit increases, it really was both a salary bill and a merit plan.

But Senator Shelba Branscum argued: "If we can call this merit - this is a salary increase - we can get this built-in 3 percent for all faculty."

Branscum said because of the budget process, it's necessary to refer to the pay plan as merit pay, so the funds will be set aside "up-front." Otherwise, she said, other employee groups on campus would attempt to get the same percentage increase as faculty.

Branscum conceded the plan is a way of saying all faculty members are meritorious to some degree and that others, who are more meritorious, will qualify for the greater pay increase.

After approving the merit plan, the Faculty Senate defeated a resolution 14 to 11 that would've supported a Student Government Association resolution to hold commencement exercises the weekend after finals are completed. Commencement now is held the weekend before finals.

Several senators said the policy of pre-final commencement was implemented several years ago at the request of students. Others expressed concern that moving commencement back would decrease participation in graduation exercises.