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Off topic: Concerning the institution's welfare
Budget may cause ASU to cut jobs
By Ken L. Spear
Montgomery Advertiser
There are more than 125 positions open at Alabama State University, and due to slimmed-down state budgets, trustees say, some of those jobs may need to be eliminated or consolidated.
College leaders are discussing contracting with outside consultants to help downsize and restructure as they face a lean year of budgets trimmed by state government.
President Joe Lee told the executive committee of ASU's board of trustees on Tuesday that 127 positions are vacant -- many of them frozen in anticipation of lost state revenue. Lee said 30 of those jobs are in administration and currently are manned on an interim or acting basis.
Those positions include the head football coach, vice president of student affairs, dean of the College of Education, dean of graduate studies, director of the Early Childhood Center, director of University College, station manager for WVAS Radio as well as director jobs in purchasing and inventory.
He said 41 positions have been advertised in various publications, including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education and ASU's Web site. Some of these jobs were posted as early as 2000; the status of many is listed as "open until filled."
Part of the problem may be the competitiveness of the salaries offered. Some candidates have looked at what ASU has to offer and found that it doesn't match the salaries and benefits of their current jobs, Lee said, citing an example of how a technology director candidate negotiated for $56,000 -- a $3,000 difference compared to the ceiling in ASU's salary schedule for that position.
"I won't hesitate to say that some of our salaries are not competitive," Lee said. "Our salaries are not way off, but are far enough away that they are not competitive."
The board has given Lee an April 1 deadline to get a report from a consultant, so the full board can vote on the issue during the May meeting.
While Lee said he wants to avoid adversely affecting academic affairs, finance chairman Joe Reed said downsizing is inevitable.
"ASU can't carry all these people," Reed said. "We simply don't have the money to do business as usual. Everything has to be looked at."
Any reduction in force is going to hurt people, ASU Faculty Senate President Derryn Moten said, and the university should first examine other ways to reduce overhead. The university should take a look at areas such as state vehicles and the budget for entertainment, such as homecoming, Moten said.
"Everybody that has a job needs a job," Moten said. "So I would caution the university against targeting staff when they think about ways by which they can save money."
Budget may cause ASU to cut jobs
By Ken L. Spear
Montgomery Advertiser
There are more than 125 positions open at Alabama State University, and due to slimmed-down state budgets, trustees say, some of those jobs may need to be eliminated or consolidated.
College leaders are discussing contracting with outside consultants to help downsize and restructure as they face a lean year of budgets trimmed by state government.
President Joe Lee told the executive committee of ASU's board of trustees on Tuesday that 127 positions are vacant -- many of them frozen in anticipation of lost state revenue. Lee said 30 of those jobs are in administration and currently are manned on an interim or acting basis.
Those positions include the head football coach, vice president of student affairs, dean of the College of Education, dean of graduate studies, director of the Early Childhood Center, director of University College, station manager for WVAS Radio as well as director jobs in purchasing and inventory.
He said 41 positions have been advertised in various publications, including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Black Issues in Higher Education and ASU's Web site. Some of these jobs were posted as early as 2000; the status of many is listed as "open until filled."
Part of the problem may be the competitiveness of the salaries offered. Some candidates have looked at what ASU has to offer and found that it doesn't match the salaries and benefits of their current jobs, Lee said, citing an example of how a technology director candidate negotiated for $56,000 -- a $3,000 difference compared to the ceiling in ASU's salary schedule for that position.
"I won't hesitate to say that some of our salaries are not competitive," Lee said. "Our salaries are not way off, but are far enough away that they are not competitive."
The board has given Lee an April 1 deadline to get a report from a consultant, so the full board can vote on the issue during the May meeting.
While Lee said he wants to avoid adversely affecting academic affairs, finance chairman Joe Reed said downsizing is inevitable.
"ASU can't carry all these people," Reed said. "We simply don't have the money to do business as usual. Everything has to be looked at."
Any reduction in force is going to hurt people, ASU Faculty Senate President Derryn Moten said, and the university should first examine other ways to reduce overhead. The university should take a look at areas such as state vehicles and the budget for entertainment, such as homecoming, Moten said.
"Everybody that has a job needs a job," Moten said. "So I would caution the university against targeting staff when they think about ways by which they can save money."
