Same situation for me Scott.  Although my pay ain't so big, the peace of mind is worth something!  Also, Jeff, how did they compensate you for all that overtime?  I'm not really "allowed" to work over 40 hours per week.  When I have to work weekends and evenings, I just get to leave early on other days.  We don't get paid for OT, but get 1.5 hours of comp time for each OT hour worked.  It has to be pre-approved as well, which sometimes is applied for when turning in my time sheet! Sometimes, I just don't know, or get the dreaded "suprise" tuning at the end of the week. Paul <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td width=40%>"Scott E. Thile" <scott.thile@murraystate.edu> Sent by: caut-bounces@ptg.org 06/12/2008 05:44 PM <table border> <tr valign=top> <td bgcolor=white> <div align=center>Please respond to College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org></div></table> <td width=59%> <table width=100%> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>To</div> <td>"'College and University Technicians'" <caut@ptg.org> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>cc</div> <td> <tr valign=top> <td> <div align=right>Subject</div> <td>Re: [CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina</table> <table> <tr valign=top> <td> <td></table> </table> Wow, that sounds very close to my situation here too, Jeff... My take home is about the same... We do have tuition waivers equivalent to 6 classes a year for the immediate family, which helps a little.   I just signed a one year contract for the same pay I had last year. We are going to get a one time $400 check in July instead of a cost of living or merit pay raise this year. Obviously, the cost of living increase (mostly food and gas) has caused that to be a significant pay cut this year. Thankfully, I live about 2 miles from school.   The state of KY has cut higher ed funding across the board, and it's a miracle no salary lines are being cut here. All in all, I think we're doing pretty well compared to what a lot of people are facing, or are about to face. I think it's going to be a rough season for a lot of folks in this country.   While I'd rather have it a little easier, and make a little more, this is still a lot better for me... In terms of private sector work. I did that full time for 17 years before I took this position. No insurance, and no retirement (I kept having to wipe that out), and I worked much harder. My gross income was great, my net was certainly no better than I make now, and I had nothing for the future, and thank God none of us were facing major medical expenses. If I were still self employed, we'd either be completely broke, or very very sick and in a lot of pain!   All the best in your new endeavors, Jeff. I hope and pray things go well.   Scott -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim Busby Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 12:30 PM To: College and University Technicians Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina Jeff,   I thought there for a moment that you were talking about the position here… (Very similar, overall.)   It’s hard to stay motivated when your independent technician friends are making twice what you are. Benefits and job security in an uncertain economy are sometimes all that keeps me here. Besides the friendship with the people around me. With your skills you should easily make much more, with much less stress. Yep, CAUT life isn’t necessarily the “life of Riley”.   Thanks for the info. Makes me feel like I’m not alone.   Regards, Jim Busby   <div align=center> <hr></div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jeff Tanner Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 10:36 AM To: College and University Technicians Subject: [CAUT] Position Opening at the University of South Carolina   Dear CAUTers, Yes.  After 9 1/2 years, I've left my position at the University of South Carolina.  The responsibilities and difficulties of the situation were growing too fast for one person to have any chance of keeping up and the salary was never going to support living in the local community - not for raising a family at least.  The time requirements were getting unpredictable and increasing moonlighting requirements were making it more and more difficult to be committed to the unrealistic requirements of the staff position.  I'm planning to compose an email to the list for anyone interested in applying for the position to know what to expect. In fact, I already have, but it was too long and involved to send. In the meantime, if anyone has questions about the situation, feel free to email me privately at this address.   Important things one needs to know about this particular situation:  The benefits are not free on top of the salary. Employee contributions to benefits are a significant deduction from the paycheck.  At $52K, my daily take home pay was just shy of $134, or just under $2900/month. The 2008-09 SC budget only provides for a 1% COL increase for state employees. Just three years ago, we had come through a 2 year period of salary freezes and I look for that to happen again next year. There is no tuition assistance for families. Children of employees do not go to college free or reduced, and USC has a relatively high tuition for state flagship schools in the region.  The employee can take up to 3 hours per semester if class space is available. Building outside private business in the local sector is very slow and often requires traveling well outside the local area. While some university techs regularly get calls because of their position, I averaged perhaps 2 calls a year, one of which was asking about the value of their piano for sale. Do not assume you won't have to moonlight. Unless you are financially independent, the advertised salary will not support a home, car payment, utilities, food and clothing in the local area. Do not expect to come in for a lower salary and get it adjusted upward later. The system doesn't allow for that type of employee rewarding.  You must negotiate the salary you expect at hire. The system limits performance increases to 10%, but don't expect to ever see a 10% performance increase. You can only qualify for a pay for performance increase once annually.  With the price of gas and food going up daily, that is a very long wait between salary increases.   One technician who called me about the position opening expected that taking a university job would be an easier life. I've found it to be an extremely difficult and stressful means of earning an income.  I was working 70 plus hours a week and still living paycheck to paycheck.  If you're young and planning a family, I definitely cannot recommend it.   Probably the biggest reason I left was that the performance expectations don't allow for much of a family life.  I wasn't raised that way and I couldn't continue to subject my family to that kind of home life. If your idea of family life is the only time you see your wife and children is when you kiss them goodnight (and often not then) and put them on the school bus the next morning, then you may be ok with this work.  And yes, you get vacation leave, but you don't make enough money to be able to take your family on vacation.  We ran up a substantial amount of debt trying to wait for the salary to get to a level we could just pay monthly bills.  It was time to stop going backwards.   Jeff Tanner