MNSCU Gets It

From the Learning Curve:

The recent deal between the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and faculty at the state's public regional universities will deliver an 11.2 percent salary hike through this year and next.

It's the biggest salary increase ever negotiated by the Inter Faculty Organization, the union representing about 3,300 full and part time faculty at the seven state universities. IFO members will vote on the deal Thursday. The MnSCU board and the Legislature would still need to approve.

If it all goes through, average salaries next year would be:

"I am convinced that we received every nickel MnSCU had on the table for compensation," IFO president Nancy Black wrote recently to members, urging them to back the deal, which also includes pay raises for adjunct and community faculty.

"With the state now in recession, and budget cuts looming on the horizon," she wrote, "we felt it was time to wrap up negotiations and try to get the contract ratified by the Board of Trustees and the Legislature before the budget cutting begins in earnest later this spring."

The deal covers faculty at Metropolitan State, Winona State, Minnesota State Mankato, Southwest Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, Minnesota State Moorhead and Bemidji State.

Hmm...

MNSCU beat us on the downside as far as tuition increases go, and apparently will beat us on the upside for faculty salary percentage increase.

Now about those ambitious aspirations...

Ciao, Bonzo