[CAUT] assistant position

[Porritt, David]

Don:

 

Of course "saving money" as the sole criterion for all decisions is in
vogue now.  I hope this is a trend that will eventually go out of style.
The school could obviously save money by not hiring an assistant and
could save even more by getting rid of you.  They could save money by
getting rid of the entire custodial staff too.  It's a matter of how
dirty the building can get and still function and attract students.  

 

It really becomes matter of deciding how bad the pianos can get and
still maintain their reputation as a first-rate music school.  Certain
maintenance needs to be done to stay open.  I just wish I could hear
someone request a report on how good our pianos could get if we did the
right things!

 

Schools (and companies) hire custodial workers because if they didn't
hire them $100.00 per hour people would have to spend some of their
valuable time doing things that $10.00 per hour people could do.  If an
assistant could do work that would otherwise be done by more expensive
outside contractors then that would save money.  You might have to go
over the records of how much has been spent on outside work in the past
to make this case.  

 

dave

 

David M. Porritt

dporritt at smu.edu

________________________________

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Donald McKechnie
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 4:46 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] assistant position

 

All,

 

I have been charged with the task of showing how adding an assistant
piano tech position here at IC would save the college money. Over the
last 6 years I have presented all sorts of information to show how this
addition to staff is necessary. While the information is taken in as all
well and good, the bottom line for this administration is saving money.
(Yes, it is a big political game too but I am the minor player. I have
to rely on the deans to play the big game as I cannot get my foot in any
further. They simply won't let me in.) All this means is that I must
give the deans the best argument possible.

 

In essence, the information I have given in the past (Guidelines, etc.)
is considered qualitative. This administration wants to see a
quantitative argument. In other words, "Show Me the Money Savings!" At
this point I have come up with zip in the way of a good argument. Has
anyone out there used a dollars and cents approach that helped or
actually worked in your favor? 

 

I have managed to come up with words that dance around the basic
argument requested. Getting to the actual dollars saved still eludes me.
The only approach so far has been to look at the inventory in terms of
years of service. The longevity of the piano in the inventory is
increased if the piano is maintained regularly. (Meaning reconditioning
of some sort and regular repairs.) This is easy enough for the
administration to understand but unless I can get my head to wrap around
how dollars fit into this tact, I'm afraid it just as useless as my
other arguments. Of course a regular replacement program is still needed
and that is something a have a better handle on. Any help with the
savings?

 

Thanks,

Don

 

Don McKechnie

Piano Technician

Ithaca College

dmckech at ithaca.edu

607-274-3908

 

 





 

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