FACULTY MERIT PAY REMAINS UNSETTLED

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- After months of discussion and debate, the Faculty Senate at Southeast Missouri State University has yet to settle on a merit pay plan.

At Wednesday's meeting, the senate devoted nearly two hours of the meeting to discuss and amend a proposed merit pay plan.

But a motion to put the issue to a final vote was rejected narrowly by a divided senate. Thirteen senators voted for the motion, while 14 voted against it.

Earlier in the session, senators approved by a 21 to 5 vote an amendment calling for a guaranteed, three-year merit pay plan.

Under the plan, faculty members would receive an across-the-board pay raise of at least 3 percent annually for each of the three years. The plan also included fringe benefits and the awarding of $1,000 in merit pay annually in those years to each eligible faculty member.

The university would assure a total annual pay increase of at least 5 percent for the across-the-board hike and the merit pay, if the plan's adopted.

Senators said the new plan would cost only about $200,000 more than one proposed last week.

Last week, senators had seemingly settled on a total annual increase of 4 percent that included a 2 percent across-the-board hike.

Provost Leslie Cochran had suggested the university administration might go along with a 4 percent package that would guarantee funding of merit pay.

But several senators Wednesday said faculty members in their departments were opposed to any merit plan that didn't include a minimum 4 percent across-the-board pay hike.

Senator Allen Gathman noted that university officials are "under considerable pressure" from Gov. John Ashcroft, the state legislature and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to implement a merit pay plan.

Senators argued over whether the plan was truly a merit pay plan or if it dealt partly with salaries.

Several senators said faculty members fear that university officials wouldn't approve salary increases above those set out in the merit pay plan.

But Cochran described it as a "two-tiered merit plan" in which all faculty would receive across-the-board merit pay and those faculty members who were eligible would receive an additional $1,000 each.

But Faculty Senator Max Drake maintained that many faculty members see an across-the-board pay hike as dealing with salaries.

"It is salary to the faculty," said Drake. "They do not trust the administration. They do not trust the compensation committee."

Faculty Senator Charles Wiles expressed frustration at the continued debate over a merit pay bill. He said it appeared senators were "spinning our wheels and wasting our time.

"We've got to pass something and get on with it," said Wiles.