Stockton assistant deans get new titles, more pay
By DIANE D'AMICO
Education Writer, 609-272-7241
Published: Saturday, July 19, 2008
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - Eight Richard Stockton College employees are losing two words from their job titles but getting more money and responsibility.The college board of trustees last week approved the reclassification of the eight people from "assistant to the dean," a union position, to "assistant dean," a managerial position.Stockton Executive Vice President and Provost David Carr said the shift reflects the increased duties of the affected employees. The change, which was challenged by the college's faculty and staff union, resulted in salary increases of 6 percent to 11 percent. Effective July 5, the assistant deans now earn between $75,000 and $92,000.Carr said the change was necessary because the assistant deans were taking on more managerial and confidential duties that were sometimes in conflict with their membership in the union.
"If they were in a meeting and issues regarding personnel or bargaining came up, they would have to leave the room," Carr said. "They are also dealing with topics such as scheduling and student complaints, and they needed the authority to resolve them."Carr said the union structure had been in place since the college opened, when the assistants were more like support staff. But as the college has grown, the duties of the job have become more complex.Michael Frank, who was president of the Stockton Federation of Teachers during the discussions last year, said another issue was that the assistants were at the top of the union pay scale. He said the union did propose a way to keep the members in the union and increase their salaries, but that was rejected by the administration. The issue went before the state Public Employment Relations Commission, which ruled in favor of the college.The eight "assistant to the dean" positions remain open within the union structure but are vacant.The trustees also approved a 10 percent "equity increase" in Carr's salary last week from $181,413 to $200,000, which Carr said brings him more in line with other provosts in the state based on his experience. A review of provost salaries at the state's public colleges shows they range from about $125,000 to a high of $285,000, not including Rutgers University.E-mail Diane D'Amico:DDamico@pressofac.com
Print Story
Email Story
