University of Washington chapter
American Association of 
University Professors  

from Faculty Issues and Concerns listserve

UW Faculty News Oct 8, 2005

Items:
*** Changes at the top: Emmert's new team
*** Faculty Senate office reorganized
*** $2 million salary compression fund: What's happening?
*** AAUP State of the Faculty report in the works

CHANGES AT THE TOP: EMMERT'S NEW TEAM

The ranks of upper administration have changed dramatically in the last few months. We have a
new Provost, a new Executive Vice Provost, and carloads of new deans. The new Provost, Phyllis
Wise, is now joined by Ana Mari Cauce, former chair of Psychology, who will serve as Executive
Vice Provost, a position formerly held by Steven Olswang. Word is that there will be other
changes in Gerberding Hall as administrative responsibilities are shuffled and streamlined.

FACULTY SENATE OFFICE REORGANIZED

Another reorganization is underway in what has always been known as the Faculty Senate Office. The new Secretary of the Faculty, Donna Kerr (Professor, Education), is considering sweeping changes, including: (1) replacing the three staff members who have worked in the office for years and years and redefining those positions; (2)changing the way Faculty Councils operate, in particular increasing the role of administrators in the Councils (3) renaming the Faculty Senate Office, making it the Office of Shared Governance. These moves caught the Senate Executive Committee by surprise and as the week ended various negotiations were underway. AAUP is withholding comment until all of the issues are clear. But it is very important that the faculty role in university governance not be diminished in any way. Here's a thought: shouldn't all of Gerberding Hall be known as the Office of Shared Governance?

$2 MILLION SALARY COMPRESSION FUND: WHAT IS HAPPENING?

At the end of spring quarter, President Emmert announced that $2 million would be used to begin
to address the huge problem of salary compression and inversion (which AAUP calls "the loyal
faculty penalty") that affects faculty members who have made the mistake of staying too long at
UW. Acting Provost David Thorud appointed a committee to set guidelines for the allocation of
those funds. Not much has been heard since, but there are rumors that the original purpose of
the fund may be changing. Instead of clear guidelines that will insure that the money rewards
those who have suffered severe salary stagnation, deans may be given wide latitude to use the
money for a variety of purposes. This would be a mistake. After a generation of neglect, the
compression fund was established to finally begin to address the grotesque inequalities that
result from long-term salary stagnation. That is how it should be used.

AAUP STATE OF THE FACULTY REPORT

The 2005-06 State of the Faculty Report will be published this quarter. Members of the AAUP
Executive Committee have set the agenda which will include data on faculty salaries, faculty
diversity, gender equality, and the decline of tenure-eligible positions. The focus article this
year will be "The Disappearing Sabbatical" where we explore the difficulties that faculty
members encounter when applying for professional leave. In addition we make recommendations for
fixing the nearly broken Adjudication system, introduce the new Faculty Legislative
Representative, and we will update the Loyal Faculty campaign that resulted in the $2 million
compression fund.

UW FACULTY NEWS bulletins are issued on a periodic basis by the University of Washington chapter
of AAUP. Contact James Gregory, chapter Secretary. uwaaup@u.washigton.edu