Statement to Board of Trustees July 15, 2021 (available as read on BoT website)
Good afternoon. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Anne Fletcher. I am a Professor in the School of Theatre and Dance. I have been at SIUC for 20 years. I am here today in my capacity as President of the SIUC Faculty Association.The Faculty Association works with administration in settling and even preventing grievances, implementing the Collective Bargaining Agreement, navigating reorganization, and more. We are currently in collective bargaining. Employing Interest Based Bargaining, the joint team’s relationship remains open and friendly. I urge you to take the opportunity to build into the FY 2022 budget meaningful salary increases for Faculty. Except for Promotion and Tenure, Faculty have received in total a 2% increase in salary across the last decade. Salary compression has become acute. Morale is extraordinarily low. While I recognize that “feelings are not facts”, Faculty perception is that we are simply not a priority. Faculty numbers have decreased by at least half in my time here, currently totaling approximately 425. Arguably, the student body has shrunk proportionately. However, in terms of class preparation, office hours, committee assignments, recruitment and retention, and other service activities, work has increased. There are fewer Faculty to complete daily operational tasks. Students and Faculty, teaching and learning, are the heart and soul of a university. We hope that SIUC will recognize Faculty and stand committed to the people who have committed themselves to SIUC.Thank you for your time.