December, 2011
Vol. 24, No 4
By Erin McNelis,
Associate Professor, Mathematics & Computer Science
Chair, WCU Faculty Senate
When someone asks you what you do for a living, what is your response? Do you say “I’m an educator,” “I am a mathematician”, (or whatever your discipline is).OR do you say “I am a researcher,” or “I work at Western”? Do you ever refer to yourself as a member of a team or part of a community at Western? I have at times introduced myself as a member of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, but I never thought of myself first and foremost as “a member of the WCU Community.” Yet, things are changing at WCU and Chancellor Belcher has made it clear that the entire community has been invited to get involved.
In the past year and a half of serving as Chair of the Faculty, I’ve served on committees I didn’t previously know existed; I’ve (hopefully) served as a facilitator and a conduit for faculty; I’ve been frustrated by things
I’ve seen and heard and I’ve been immensely proud of things I’ve seen and heard. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve tried to learn from them; but most importantly, I’ve grown as a person and my view of my role as a faculty member at Western Carolina University has grown as a result of my experiences.
Last year, the previous Chair of the Staff Senate, William Frady, approached me about getting together over coffee to talk about common interests and opportunities for the Staff and Faculty Senates to work together. I’m so grateful he sought me out for this, as sadly, I don’t think I would have thought to do the same.
This started a collaboration that has been incredibly rewarding, most directly for me, but hopefully for all of our faculty and staff as we build a foundation and legacy for working together. So much of our perspective before now has been from atop our “silos”, be they disciplinary, college, or status-based (e.g. administrative vs. non-administrative). Working with the Staff Senate has not only helped me develop an even greater respect for our staff and their concerns, it has made crystal clear a common purpose we share: our main goal is to provide our students the best education, learning environment, support, and opportunities that we can offer.
Casey Hurley shared a thought with me recently that really resonates with this point. I hope I can convey his sentiments as eloquently as he did. Casey explained that he was a faculty member at WCU when we reached our centennial, and it struck him that we had a strong history of providing an outstanding educational experience for our students, and that hasn’t changed in over one-hundred years. From the inception of the institution as a normal school in 1889 through our present status as a member of the University of North Carolina System, we continue to strive to provide exceptional educational opportunities for our students, just as those who have come before us. Casey and I were particularly talking about our faculty at this time, but I believe all members of the WCU community (students, staff, faculty, administration, members of the Board of Trustees, alumni, university supporters, and beyond) have at their core, a desire to provide resources and educational opportunities for our students to flourish.
If it’s not clear how students are involved in providing outstanding educational opportunities for the university, consider the Cuts Hurt Initiative. The Cuts Hurt Project, which was recently adopted by the NC
Association of Student Governments and all of the universities in the UNC System, was created by WCU’s
Vice President of the Student Body, Alecia Page, and serves to educate our community about the recent
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legislative cuts to the UNC system budget as well as allow everyone to share their concerns with their campus, their student government, the N.C. General Assembly, and the U.S. Congress. This Monday, December 5, the
Student Government Association, The Office of Leadership and Student Involvement, and the WCU College
Democrats are hosting their first Cuts Hurt Forum . Representatives from the North Carolina Association of
Educators, members of the state legislature, students, and other WCU community leaders are scheduled to participate in this event, s et for Monday, December 5 th at 7:00 p.m. in the UC Grand Room. Please, try to make the time to participate in this event! Show our students that they can effect change in their state’s educational system, and that they are making an important change in themselves and at their university already. Collectively voice your concerns about cuts to the North Carolina educational system and support our students as they becoming the leaders, critical thinkers, and agents of change we strive to foster at Western
Carolina University.
What was the point again? First and foremost, we are a part of a Western Carolina University
Community, united by our dedication to providing our students with excellent educational opportunities and support. In order to achieve this excellence, we must work together! Chancellor Belcher, in particular, has supported the idea of shared ownership and responsibility and has invited all members of our university community to participate in shaping our future. Not only have we been invited to participate, Chancellor
Belcher is providing us with new venues for participation (the 2020 Commission and the joint staff and faculty budget and financial planning advisory committee he is supporting are just two such examples). We are at an opportune moment of institutional change. Let’s seize the opportunity and become active members of a collaborative community focused on providing an exceptional education, learning environment, support, and opportunities for our students. Isn’t that The Western Way?
Laura Wright
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
English Department
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Vera,
As the current President of the WCU chapter of the Tar Heel Branch of the AAUW, I commend Dr. Carter for her thoughtful commentary and the call to action and opportunity that it presents to our university. Indeed, it is a call that has not gone unheeded; the Wednesday, November 9 issue of the Smoky Mountain News reported the following:
Western Carolina University Chancellor David Belcher told faculty members late last month that he has authorized a “thorough” salary analysis to review who gets what and why in the form of pay at the university.
. . . English Professor Elizabeth Heffelfinger asked if the study would include information previously gathered about possible inequities at WCU in what women and men are paid.
“I want this to be as comprehensive as possible,” Belcher said in an affirmative response. The study would include all faculty, staff, and administrative positions.
Commitment to conducting such a study is encouraging and very much appreciated, as is Henry Wong’s acknowledgement in an email to me that this proposed study would examine salary inequities based on gender and race. Dr. Wong tells me that he is in the process of convening a task force to design the research for this study.
But Dr. Carter’s essay raises issues that are of a category that may be impossible to measure in such a study.
As she notes, “inequity is in the water, as they say, and it is promulgated less by any conscious effort than by the status quo itself. Inequitable privilege manifests itself in traditionally higher pay for traditionally male fields (at non-union institutions); in the high financial price women pay for their disproportionate childcare and domestic responsibilities; in the useful contacts men make on golf courses and in other areas where women are scarce; in both men and women consciously or unconsciously considering women less qualified than men with the same qualifications.”
My hope, in addition to whatever may come from WCU’s salary equity study, is that as a campus community, we will begin to consider, discuss, and generate alternative models to the deeply entrenched systems of privilege that allow for inequitable access to power to remain the norm. I invite all members of the WCU community, male and female, to join WCU’s chapter of the Tar Heel Branch of the AAUW and to participate in future discussions about how we might shift our culture, which is, after, a microcosm of a much bigger picture.
For more information, please email me at lwright@email.wcu.edu
or join online: http://site.tarheel.aauwnc.org/join-now/
All the best,
Laura Wright
John F. Whitmire
Associate professor, Dept. of Philosophy and Religion
Having just finished teaching King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail," Catherine Carter's article urging WCU to undertake an analysis of salary equity reminded me of King's comment in that piece that he had never conducted a direct-action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those occupying a position of privilege. It may indeed be difficult to embark on such an analysis in the midst of strategic planning, and there may also be limited resources at present for rectifying any inequities that might be found, but, as King went on to argue, "the time is always ripe to do right." I would therefore join Catherine in urging the University to embark on this analysis as soon as possible, with a view to resolving any unjust imbalances at the earliest opportunity.
John F. Whitmire, Jr., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Philosophy and Religion
Western Carolina University
Stillwell 232
Cullowhee, NC 28715
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jwhitmire@email.wcu.edu
http://paws.wcu.edu/jwhitmire
(828) 227-2636
I think this is a really impressive Faculty Forum essay, one of the most delicately articulated that I have ever seen in all these years of the publication. It is, coincidentally, a great model for breaking the "Culture of
Silence." Congratulations on such a high-water mark. Terry
Great article!!! Salary inequity is not the only problem, however, although it is truly discouraging to be paid less than the counterparts in your college who are paid more because they supposedly could make more money in the real world.
Another discouraging problem is the lack of women in leadership positions, at least in some colleges. Women need to be represented equally or at least proportionately in leadership roles.
It's time for an open discussion on equality at WCU, whether it be a discussion of women or other "minorities."
Jayne
This month’s responses section blew me away. The number of responses continues to grow each month along with the comprehensive and thoughtful nature of the comments. Please keep them cards and letters coming!
They enrich the dialogue and place it in our archival history of faculty renderings. As we round out this calendar year, I want to thank every faculty member who wrote for The Faculty Forum this year, and each one who took the time to write a thoughtful response . Remember, you can always send your comment to the article’s author or to me at vguise@wcu.edu
and request that it be shared as “anonymous”. You may comment on this month’s compelling feature article by sending an email directly to the author or to me. OR you may comment directly through the webpage by accessing the Faculty Forum’s Wiki, then select the article under What’s Hot on the top right. Th e Wiki requires you to use your email username and password to access the article. The Faculty Forum is a publication by and for WCU faculty, but we do invite comments from staff, who are equally important in the pursuit of excellence here at WCU.
To access the article as a PDF, click here .
Click here to go to the most current Volume of the Faculty Forum.
The direct link to the main Faculty Forum Webpage is: http://www.wcu.edu/7480.asp
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