REJECTS

Who would think that AAUP-OU and the Board of Trustees would agree over faculty compensation? But even the board was dumbfounded when administrators recommended delaying faculty and staff raises, i.e. their own "Objective 1" in their own five-year plan. "I really struggle with delaying compensation increases when we have identified those as top priorities," Board Chair DeLawder rightfully complained, then he and his colleagues rejected the plan McDavis, Krendl, Decatur, and the rest had only just endorsed.

But everyone was on board, our administrators cried, our constituencies were all in agreement. Really? Look at Outlook to see who was on board: HTC Dean Ann Fidler rallied to her own cause by claiming "the rationale...is sound" (Fidler was promoted into the Provost's office the same day trustees found the plan unsound and irrational). College of Business Dean Hugh Sherman felt " this move could help reduce pain later because you're proceeding in a thoughtful way." Whose pain did he mean, administrators with fat salaries and the privilege of shared governance?

Director of Budget Planning and Analysis Rebecca Vazquez Skillings seemed the happiest messing with people's livelihood, if we are to take her words seriously. "It provides me with a measure of peace that we can move forward doing the business of the university with wisdom." Who is the Budget Planning Council to be talking about pain, peace and wisdom? No wonder the trustees weren't impressed. We don't want to see jobs cut anymore than these administrators do. Instead, we hope DeLawder takes to heart what he said in Faculty Senate: that, based on comparison of OU to our peer institutions, "we obviously have too many administrators."