Kent State job

[Kerry Kean]

I'm not sure why anyone would find an advertised job insulting (the last
time I checked, we were free to reject any substandard job offers, free
market and all that...  ;-). 

The pay level is unfortunate, though, and reflects both the rigidity of the
civil service system and the lack of support for the arts in our schools.
The administration dropped back to the very bottom of the pay scale for that
grade, and I'm not sure how quickly a new hire would advance, pay-wise.
However, I must say that there are other advantages to working at a
university. Free tuition for your whole family could add $10-20,000+ a year
tax-free on top of your salary, plus medical, dental, eyeglasses, etc, not
to mention a nice working environment and a flexible schedule for doing
outside tuning/attending classes. 

I don't like defending an administrative attitude I've battled over the
years, but Kent state has been good for me; it all depends on what you're
looking for in a position.

Kerry Kean 


>School of Music. Wage: $12.74.
 
 Personally, I find that insulting!  As long as someone keeps accepting this
 "McDonald's" wages, Piano Technicians will barely above the janitor...I bet
 the janitor gets paid more!
 
 David I. >>

David and list:

I thought this was a typo at first, or that Kerry might explain in a later 
post.  I know of one state college where the real life pay is commensurate 
with a respectable retail comparison, but the posted pay is that of an 
"Instructional Support Technician,"  which is in the ballpark of Kent State's 
posted pay.  I wonder if Kerry didn't have an arrangement like that with the 
music chair.  In the case I am familiar with, the tech submits a bill, and 
the dept administrative assistant submits appropriate paperwork (enough hours 
to pay for the service) so that the technician receives payment for his bill. 
 Creative, but irregular.  And I am not sure of what ripple effect there is, 
but it probably does not help the overall situation for CAUTs across the 
country.  That is not Kerry's fault - indeed it is something which the piano 
technician community can address more effectively.

Although the CAUTs in the PTG do not "organize" or tackle pay issues, we 
indirectly address the issues through our collegial activities.  The more 
that both employed and contract university technicians work to better their 
specialized skills and knowledge and make this known to the universities, the 
greater the chance that we can influence the universities to properly 
compensate us.  That is certainly one reason why I encourage participation 
this summer in the CAUT forum at the annual convention, as we review the 
Guidelines and discuss other timely and relevant issues - and as Ed Swenson 
and Gary Green provide excellent CAUT-related classes.

Bill Shull
CAUT committee member
University of Redlands, La Sierra University, Riverside City College