2008 Woodie Awards
PAYCHECK WOES
Reimplimented check schedule sparks debate
Brennan Stebbins
Issue date: 9/5/08 Section: News
A decision to pay Missouri Southern adjunct faculty four times a semester instead of five has some wondering about their futures with the institution.
A bulletin released by the Academic Affairs Office last Friday announced the change, which will begin spring 2009. Part-time and overload contracts will be paid for the first time on Feb. 27, meaning employees will work for seven weeks before receiving their first paychecks. The announcement said the change was "reviewed and supported by the Deans."
Kim Horner, an English department adjunct, said she was outraged upon hearing the news.
"It's wrong," Horner said. "This is not a conscionable employment practice, to expect people to work for seven weeks without getting paid."
"I immediately went down and visited with Vice President [John] Messick because this is not the first time they've done this," she added. "They did it two years ago and I protested and I got it changed. The bulletin came out Friday afternoon before a long weekend and the bulletin went to full-time faculty only."
Messick, vice president for academic affairs, said the change would make it easier to manage the pay schedule.
"When we went to Banner we had a four-pay schedule and we did have an objection to that by one part-time instructor," Messick said. "We then put into place a plan to pay at least some part-time and overload contracts with a five pay schedule. We've been doing that for about a year."
Messick said it's been hard to manage that plan because deadlines for five pay contracts occur before the beginning of a semester, sometimes before the status of a class is certain.
"That is a reason that, after talking with the deans last spring, and they in turn talking with the department heads, we decided to return to the four-pay contract period," Messick said. "It's just easier to manage. If we have a contract out then we can cancel that class. It prevents some difficulties."
Banner is the new administrative software implemented over the past few years. Messick said the payroll management aspect of Banner requires more lead time to get financial information in place, and a four-pay period will allow more time to be sure a class will make.
A bulletin released by the Academic Affairs Office last Friday announced the change, which will begin spring 2009. Part-time and overload contracts will be paid for the first time on Feb. 27, meaning employees will work for seven weeks before receiving their first paychecks. The announcement said the change was "reviewed and supported by the Deans."
Kim Horner, an English department adjunct, said she was outraged upon hearing the news.
"It's wrong," Horner said. "This is not a conscionable employment practice, to expect people to work for seven weeks without getting paid."
"I immediately went down and visited with Vice President [John] Messick because this is not the first time they've done this," she added. "They did it two years ago and I protested and I got it changed. The bulletin came out Friday afternoon before a long weekend and the bulletin went to full-time faculty only."
Messick, vice president for academic affairs, said the change would make it easier to manage the pay schedule.
"When we went to Banner we had a four-pay schedule and we did have an objection to that by one part-time instructor," Messick said. "We then put into place a plan to pay at least some part-time and overload contracts with a five pay schedule. We've been doing that for about a year."
Messick said it's been hard to manage that plan because deadlines for five pay contracts occur before the beginning of a semester, sometimes before the status of a class is certain.
"That is a reason that, after talking with the deans last spring, and they in turn talking with the department heads, we decided to return to the four-pay contract period," Messick said. "It's just easier to manage. If we have a contract out then we can cancel that class. It prevents some difficulties."
Banner is the new administrative software implemented over the past few years. Messick said the payroll management aspect of Banner requires more lead time to get financial information in place, and a four-pay period will allow more time to be sure a class will make.
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