Graduate students and English department faculty voiced concern at the Faculty Senate meeting yesterday about the financial dilemma of the Rhetoric Composition and the Teaching of English program.
Facing disproportionate budget cuts, the department has been unable to hire two much needed teaching faculty for the past two years, and they may be entering year three.
The program would have to draw funds from the temporary hiring budget, which supplies money for graduate teacher stipends, in order to hire the two faculty members the department requested, said Roxanne Mountford, associate English professor and RCTE faculty member.
“”We’re not asking for a pile of money,”” Mountford said. “”It’s like picking the pocket of a poor person. It’s outrageous.””
Budget negotiations between the English department and both Charles Tatum, the dean of the College of Humanities, and Provost George Davis have resulted in a stalemate, Mountford said.
The writing center will have to suspend operations this summer unless more funds are acquired, said John Warnock, an English professor.
“”Addressing these problems would only require wise choices and the recognition that some resources need to be found,”” Warnock said.
The situation is “”tragic for us and more importantly tragic for the students, and as a land-grant institution, tragic for the public we serve,”” he said.
“”Fundamental investments need to be made within the College of Humanities – vis Çÿ vis recruitment of new faculty members,”” Tatum said.
Wanda Howell, chair of the faculty, predicted that RCTE’s financial situation and shortage of faculty probably won’t be resolved in the immediate future because of the UA’s prioritization of other problems.
“”If one area gets resources, the other one doesn’t,”” Howell said.
State Employee Salary Adjustments
Provost Davis announced that the senate finance committee will meet today to brainstorm ways to distribute an estimated 5.5 percent increase to full-time faculty beginning in early March.
President Peter Likins, who was present at the meeting, spoke about how Gov. Janet Napolitano’s budget affected the UA and the salary increases.
“”There is a better balance between humanities and science than in previous budgets,”” Likins said. “”The governor’s response was not everything we asked for. It would be remarkable if we came out of this process with money.””
Jennifer DeWinter, a Graduate and Professional Student Council representative, asked Davis if any of the money the university receives from the legislature will go toward graduate student teachers.
“”I make less now that I did when I was 17,”” said DeWinter, a philosophy doctoral student and English teacher.
Davis said he could not give a definitive answer.
Approved proposals
The Faculty Senate approved a universitywide adoption of a standardized graduate certificate program.
A graduate certificate program would give graduate students a faster option than earning a full degree and would attract more students to programs that otherwise might not receive as much attention, said Dianne Horgan, associate dean of the Graduate College.
In addition, the senate approved the creation of the Arizona-Leipzig Joint International Ph.D. program with a major in Transcultural German Studies.
They also voted to shorten the name of undergraduate majors and minors in General Biology to Biology.
The proposals await final approval by the Arizona Board of Regents.
