Here's a novel idea Dr. Speck... why don't you take a pay cut? Oh wait, that's right. You would rather pass along the inconvenience to the single mothers who needed the child development center so they could continue their education. Well, here is an idea: maybe those mothers should look elsewhere to a college or university that cares about their well being. I realize times are hard and the decisions made in this financial environment are never easy, but I haven't seen one indication that you are willing to make sacrifices to your cozy lifestyle but you would rather pass the burden along to your faculty, staff, and students.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Show-Me Opinions: Dr. Speck, take a paycut
The blogosphere has been reacting to Thursday's announcement by Missouri Southern State University President Bruce Speck that the Child Development Center and the men's soccer program are being eliminated. The Show-Me Opinions blog addressed the topic with a suggestion for Speck:
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Okay, so President Speck does make $180,000 a year, have a $40,000 housing allowance, and receive a free car, free gasoline and country club membership. That's the contract he signed with the Board of Governors when he was hired. When you consider all that Dr. Speck has done for the university, it's a small price to pay. His compensation package is not out of line with what other university presidents are receiving. Dr. Speck did donate $10,000 from his own pocket for the expansion of the football stadium. Please get off of his back and let the poor man do his job in peace.
Okay, so President Speck does make $180,000 a year, have a $40,000 housing allowance, and receive a free car, free gasoline and country club membership. That's the contract he signed with the Board of Governors when he was hired. When you consider all that Dr. Speck has done for the university, it's a small price to pay. His compensation package is not out of line with what other university presidents are receiving. Dr. Speck did donate $10,000 from his own pocket for the expansion of the football stadium. Please get off of his back and let the poor man do his job in peace.
Here’s another novel idea, rather then demanding that other people cut their income, try putting YOUR money where your mouth is and donate some of your own income to the cause you feel so strongly about.
Yeah Turner...where do you donate part of your salary....you are quick to tell someone else what to do with their money...you are feeding at the taxpayer's trough....show us your generosity...instead of your constant criticism....your weird thinking makes it worth check out the blog now and then....
I'll be waiting to see how much and where you donate
I'm betting $10,000 would keep the child development center operating for a little while, anyway, while it's a drop in the bucket on the football stadium expansion project.
But what am I thinking? Single moms aren't usually big time donors to the college. Guess it's because they're wasting their money on food, clothes and shoes for their kids.
Actually, when you compare Speck's combined compensation to other University presidents and fairly compare all aspects he's making out very well financially. When making these comparisons, one should figure in that it's a public school, the size of the school in students and budget, the number of departments, the level of degrees (such as the fact there are very few graduate level courses) and the cost of living for the Joplin area. When you add all this together he's King Midas compared to most other university presidents, especially public university presidents. After all, in Joplin, the average cost of a home is under $100k, and he get's a $40k a year housing allowance. I mean, are there even any houses in Joplin that with your standard 30 year mortgage would cost $40k a year? Those of us that are mere mortals actually have to pay our mortgage payments out of our regular salaries. I think MSSU should cancel his contract and rehire at a more fiscally responsible level for the school.
This fact is largely forgotten now, but when Speck was hired, he was given substantially more money than Julio Leon made in his final year as MSSU president. This was Dwight Douglas's way of sticking it to Leon one more time, by saying they valued the new guy much more than one who had 25 years experience as president.
Yeah! Douglas sure stuck it to Leon (25 years as president) by giving more money to Speck who had never been a president. Actually, before Douglas picked him, Speck had lost out in five previous presidential searches. In other words, nobody wanted him until Douglas and his accomplices on the board brought him to Joplin. The child care center is not a perk and the students pay a fee to place their children there. The Globe should investigate the report of a subsidy by the administration. Dream!
Dear 7:14:
I have decided that my house payment is too high, would it be okay if unilaterally canceled my contract with the bank and refinanced it at a more fiscally responsible level?
To 6:29:
I run a small business and last year I let my secretary bring her infant son to the office from the time he was one month old until he was about a year and a half. I did that because I could afford it and because I thought it was a nice thing to do. However, I was not responsible for her decision to have a child nor was I morally obligated to pay for her decision by providing her free daycare.
There may have been better programs to cut at MSSU but I have yet to hear anyone voice what they are. I don’t know about MSSU, but at most universities the men’s football and basketball programs are money making enterprises (thus, cutting them would not only not save money it would actually cost the university revenue). Also, breaching a legal contract is not a great money saving idea, unless you would just rather see the chancellor’s money go to lawyers rather then the chancellor.
Yes, Speck should be fired. But the bad thing is, he has this contract, a three-year contract, and the board would have to pay him. Of course, his big salary is a great reminder to those faculty who have been threatened with an across the board pay cut. Will his salary will cut, as well? Or would this just factor in the "little guys?"
To the poster who said football and basketball are money-makers: http://ope.ed.gov/athletics/InstDetails.aspx?756e697469643d31373833343126796561723d32303037267264743d312f32362f3230303920353a34353a313020504d
Men's basketball does turn a small profit, while football loses money. The thing to keep in mind, however, is revenues for college athletics are always exaggerated. Southern probably counts food donated to a certain team as revenue. You know what else? The athletics department also counts its budget from MSSU as revenue...
If you go that route, then every single department and program on campus turns a profit.
Sorry Dr. Speck, but you can't speak constantly about the International Mission losing money and international trips losing money when athletics gets to count its budget as revenue. In that case, the international mission is highly profitable.
All sports at MSSU are subsidized by the university by almost 100 percent. The programs make some money from lionbackers contributions, admission tickets, and concessions. That probably amounts to no more than 3 percent of the total $ 4.9 million the university reports to the NCAA as the cost of its athletic programs. Yet, the university closes the child care center which it subsidizes by $100 thousand a year and the men's soccer program, to save some 40 thousand a year...
I suppose this is what Bruce would call proportionality of response...
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