There is absolutely no question that Governor Chris Christie has started a trend. By standing up to unions over the past year and garnering excellent approval ratings for doing so, other politicians have boldly followed suit, especially the GOP governors who were elected back in November. Now, Christiemania (my newly coined word) is spreading to public universities as well.
Let me start by presenting you with a hypothetical situation. Imagine you're looking for a job, and I have an opening. You ask me to describe the job to see if you'd be interested and I begin by telling you that you're not required to report at a certain time, nor are you required to stay in the office until a certain time. You don't even have to come in every day. There's no official dress code, and you get a lot of time off. There's a one-month break at Christmastime, a week-long break in the spring, and you don't have to work for the entire summer if you don't want to. From mid-May to September, you can do what you wish. You'll even get all your paid holidays as well.
Wait, there's more. Want to take a free trip? If you see an interesting conference in San Diego, Miami, or Las Vegas, just let your boss know. Fill out the required paperwork, get the approval, and soon you're on a plane flying toward your destination, all at the company's expense.
Not sold yet? Well, wait until you hear this. If you can hang in there and do a good job for six years, then the job is yours for life. Unless of course you do something drastic like murder one of your co-workers. Then we may not be able to keep you on board.
Are you thinking this is a part-time job? It's not. This is a full-time position with a full-time salary and excellent benefits. Kick in 5% of your salary toward your 401(k) and we'll throw in 8%. You'll pay only 2.5% of your health insurance premiums, and for an excellent health plan at that.
So now, only one question remains. Are you interested in becoming a professor at a public university in New Jersey?
Granted, not just anyone can qualify for the job. You'll need a Ph.D., at least if you're applying to a four-year college or university. That's no small feat, as it costs a lot of money and takes a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice. Take it from someone who has done it.
But if you are able to persevere and finish the degree, then you can qualify for this sweet deal. It's easily one of the top ten jobs on the planet, especially if you attain tenure.
Now that the table is set, let's get to the meal. President Dawood Farahi of Kean University recently announced that all faculty will have to sign weekly timesheets. The reason? He wants to make sure that all of them are working the required 35 hours per week to qualify for full benefits. This is a state requirement, and apparently Dr. Farahi (pronounced fuh-rye) has some suspicions as to whether all members of the faculty are fulfilling it.
Needless to say, the Kean Federation of Teachers is up in arms. How dare they be forced to sign timesheets. How belittling it is to treat scholars like "19th century factory workers," as the union president put it. Please. You've got to be joking.
There's no question that many professors work very, very hard. They teach overloads (i.e., courses beyond their required teaching load), make themselves available to students beyond their normal office hours, never turn down the chance to serve on a committee, and strive to publish scholarly articles to elevate the university's reputation. They are to be commended.
But then we also have the tenured faculty who do not work very hard. They teach the bare minimum, don't extend themselves to students, travel as much as they can, are renowned for scheduling guest lecturers or even cancelling classes outright, shun committee work, and focus on outside activities like consulting to maximize their income. Drawing on over a decade of experience in higher education, I can assure you that there are plenty of professors who do not work 35 hours a week.
Like other teachers' unions across the country, the Kean Federation of Teachers needs to get with the program. The days of public employees receiving special privileges are over. Gone forever. It's time for them to get more in line with employees in every other profession. Don't even give me that nonsense about accepting a lower salary, because salaries in the private sector are no longer significantly greater than those in the public sector. We are in a financial crisis, and everyone across the board needs to pony up. If a public employee doesn't like that concept, then they can always quit and make room for someone else who is desperately seeking a job.
I applaud President Farahi for holding Kean faculty accountable for their actions and making sure that taxpayer money is being spent responsibly. They're complaining about signing timesheets when millions of other Americans are out of work, losing their homes, and barely able to support their families? Give me a break. As one of those millions, I wish I had the opportunity to sign that weekly timesheet.
I hope that President Farahi stands his ground, and that other university presidents follow suit. The days of caving to unions are quickly coming to an end, as the pendulum is swinging further in the direction of the taxpayers. Governor Christie is the one who started rolling this stone downhill, and it continues to gain speed and momentum. Look out, unions. Christiemania is running wild!
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