Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for July 12, 2006 MERIT PAY AT SIU-C?

Well, Chancellor Wendler, here's my unsolicited input...NO WAY! No way they should consider it, because there is no way to make it fair. It's education, it's not piece work at a factory! There are too many variables outside the control of the instructor.

Wonder if Chancellor Wendler's next pay raise will be affected by his bleak prediction of fall enrollment at SIU-C? Since he is the chancellor, shouldn't he be held responsible? Doesn't the buck stop at his desk? What do you say about that, Walter?

From the Southern Illinoisan...

Wendler wants dialogue on merit pay

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University Carbondale Chancellor Walter Wendler says he would like to get the campus community involved in a discussion of merit pay increases for employees this fall.

Wendler outlined some thoughts with the SIUC Faculty Senate Tuesday about transitioning pay increases into more of a reward system than an across-the-board action. He said he plans to speak more on the subject at the beginning of the school year in August and would like others to make suggestions when the time comes.

"This year I want to try to focus on ways we can reward excellence among our faculty and staff¦and I'm trying to get the campus perspective on that," Wendler said.

The transition means extra pay increases for employees would depend more on their performance as gauged by an evaluation process.

In other business, SIUC Provost and Vice Chancellor John Dunn reported while student enrollment numbers for the summer were up slightly, figures for the fall semester weren't "encouraging."

When asked about what will happen to campus programs if revenues from tuition fall short, Wendler said only new initiatives will suffer,

Ironically, he added, one of the new initiatives is an increase in marketing, aimed at attracting more students to campus. Wendler said the university needs more marketing to bolster enrollment, but if the current figures don't translate into enough tuition money, SIUC will just have to delay larger marketing campaigns until the money will support it.