First of I would like to thank my computer which has some how decided every time I want to type I must do so in the language of Hindi. While I appreciate its dedication to my learning of other languages and cultures, it is quite frustrating when you have no translation of what your reading. Symbols to nothingness only equals a pretty picture in my brain. That said, on with my post....
Yesterday President George Benson of the College of Charleston (CofC) announced to the administration that the only people who would be receiving raises this year were adjunct faculty members so that the students may get the highest level of education and interaction with the college possible. While I will agree that the adjunct are an important part of the college, as they teach the bulk of the classes, there are other people the students interact with on a daily basis who make it much more possible for them to be going to college.
Let me start this by reminding people I used to work in the Registrar's office of CofC. I also have worked at a college library, and have grown up in college administration thanks to my wonderfully patient and hardworking mother. I also have had to interact recently as a student and with different departments as a manager, and administrator and a pseudo-advisor on multiple occasions. This may or may not account for my different philosophies of the college experience from President Benson.
College of Charleston does many things well. First it, for the most part, employs faculty that are willing to work with the students. They want to interact with them, not just lecture them. I have sort of an odd degree from the Arts Management. This degree required me to take business classes as well as art classes so as to get the most of both sides of the equation. In addition to that I had to take gen ed requirements in History, Humanities, Mathematics, Science (in my case Biology) and English (if I hadn't tested out). Plus, I had to meet a 122 hour requirement to graduate, which meant I also took classes in our hospitality and tourism department, religion department, Arabic, Italian, French, and theatre. In every department I met teachers more than willing to help, mentor, or just chat with students. Many of them inspired me to continue pursuits of knowledge in their area. Because of them I got a great education, and yes most of them were adjuncts and more than deserve their raise.
The student government is also very good at petitioning for the students. They have gotten several minute things passed over the course of the time I spent there. But they are always trying to make it easier and better for the students of the college. They have also spun off a recycling and "greener CofC" chapter for the college. CofC is also great about student ticket pricing for events and performances on campus, they hold events that students may want to go into and they're fairly good at keeping the historic buildings dilapidation, bug and rat free.
However, they're not very good at paying the every day people. Which if you would want to make the students have an easy, happy interactive experience, are the first people you would want happy. I would think, I mean, keep the people happy who interface first and foremost with your students. These people are lucky if they get a 1% raise per year, most don't even make $30,000. If they are their, they probably work because they want to help the students.
Yesterday President George Benson of the College of Charleston (CofC) announced to the administration that the only people who would be receiving raises this year were adjunct faculty members so that the students may get the highest level of education and interaction with the college possible. While I will agree that the adjunct are an important part of the college, as they teach the bulk of the classes, there are other people the students interact with on a daily basis who make it much more possible for them to be going to college.
Let me start this by reminding people I used to work in the Registrar's office of CofC. I also have worked at a college library, and have grown up in college administration thanks to my wonderfully patient and hardworking mother. I also have had to interact recently as a student and with different departments as a manager, and administrator and a pseudo-advisor on multiple occasions. This may or may not account for my different philosophies of the college experience from President Benson.
College of Charleston does many things well. First it, for the most part, employs faculty that are willing to work with the students. They want to interact with them, not just lecture them. I have sort of an odd degree from the Arts Management. This degree required me to take business classes as well as art classes so as to get the most of both sides of the equation. In addition to that I had to take gen ed requirements in History, Humanities, Mathematics, Science (in my case Biology) and English (if I hadn't tested out). Plus, I had to meet a 122 hour requirement to graduate, which meant I also took classes in our hospitality and tourism department, religion department, Arabic, Italian, French, and theatre. In every department I met teachers more than willing to help, mentor, or just chat with students. Many of them inspired me to continue pursuits of knowledge in their area. Because of them I got a great education, and yes most of them were adjuncts and more than deserve their raise.
The student government is also very good at petitioning for the students. They have gotten several minute things passed over the course of the time I spent there. But they are always trying to make it easier and better for the students of the college. They have also spun off a recycling and "greener CofC" chapter for the college. CofC is also great about student ticket pricing for events and performances on campus, they hold events that students may want to go into and they're fairly good at keeping the historic buildings dilapidation, bug and rat free.
However, they're not very good at paying the every day people. Which if you would want to make the students have an easy, happy interactive experience, are the first people you would want happy. I would think, I mean, keep the people happy who interface first and foremost with your students. These people are lucky if they get a 1% raise per year, most don't even make $30,000. If they are their, they probably work because they want to help the students.
Most people in the Registrar's office, Career Center, and the advising office keep the college running for the students. (Not to neglect mentioning admissions, new student department, undergraduate studies, graduate studies, housing, maintenance, etc) The turn over in advising begins before most of the advisers even have a chance to memorize students' options. Partially because they moved them all to full time, ousting the faculty members working there part time, and secondly because the pay is so low, people quickly find positions elsewhere that pay more. The Career Center works hard keeping a minimal staff so as to keep ok salary compensation. They go class to senior class before each graduation trying to help students get jobs. They are there before graduation for help and they continue to help place students after graduation. The people at the Registrar's for the most part are dedicated to helping the students. I don't say this because I am partial to them. I do love many people in the office but there are others I can't stand. I can't generally stand them for one reason, they are not there to help the students or they do not learn their jobs, which kind of goes hand in hand.
Personality issues aside, because I worked there, I had many people ask me how to get something done with in the structure of the school, transcripts, financial aid, graduation applications, credit transfers, etc. Each time I sent them to a particular person in the Registrar's office who could help them, and each time the worker in the RO didn't have the answer they searched and made calls all over campus so the student could get their problem solved. This is the kind of dedication that gets unrecognized in the college and at most institutions and organizations. It's unfortunate to me that they don't get any credit or recognition for helping make the college run. With out these people the students wouldn't be able to register for classes, couldn't transfer in credits, couldn't get class advising, couldn't reserve class rooms for club meetings, couldn't use the library, couldn't get paid, couldn't get job help, couldn't get their transcripts, couldn't get their grades.....you see where this is going right? So why don't these people get a raise too?
I'm sorry but if your interests are in the students, or your customers, shouldn't the people most appreciated by the company be the people helping them? Perhaps management is important but anyone who has ever had to deal with a snarky customer service person knows that one bad experience there can taint your view of the entire company. Same goes in a university setting. So why are we causing these people to be mad at the university by not giving them a raise and undervaluing their service, when in fact it may be one of the most important? I'm sorry George Benson, but increasing tuition 7% next year, giving a little bit more financial aid and then putting the rest into buildings which were already supposed to be paid off and then not giving money to your administration seems like a terrible waste of a tuition increase to me. I would want my increase to go not only to the adjuncts but the people keeping my records and keeping me enrolled. But then again, what do I know? I'm just a student.
No comments:
Post a Comment