The Rider Chapter of the AAUP is committed to preserving the
legacy and future of Westminster Choir College.
For up to date information on our efforts to save WCC,
​click here: SAVING WCC
Consequences of Accepting What is Untrue!
Micheal Brogan, Rider AAUP President                                            
​October 27, 2018

In the 2017 contract negotiations, we took several hits. There are changes to retirement, increases in individual healthcare premiums, compression of wages over time, loss of travel funds (which have been reinstated but at lower amount), and a loss of summer research funding (there has been a reinstatement of online grants at lower amount than prior fellowships). Since then we have lost junior and mid-career faculty who have left Rider since 2015 (27 faculty members) and then there is the so called 'Sale' of WCC.

In terms of the retirement impact here's what we know. Nationally, the employer contribution to retirement is 7.7% at the 25th percentile and 11.8% at the 75th percentile (source: AAUP annual compensation survey 2017-18). So, what is the impact of the retirement changes from 8.5% employer contribution to 5% mean for Rider faculty? 

An assistant professor making the rank minimum (assuming an age of 40 and a promotion from assistant II to full), will take a first year loss of -$2,534 with the change from 8.5% to 5%. That loss over 30 years (at age 70) is-$113,486. To make this up, you would need to work an additional 15 years.

An associate professor making the rank minimum (assuming an age of 46 and a promotion to full), will take a first year loss of -$3,112 with the change from 8.5% to 5%. That loss over 24 years (at age 70) is -$98,983. The number of years needed to make up difference in terms of drop in Rider contributions: ~13 years.

A full professor with a salary around $120K (assuming an age of 60) will take a first year loss of -$4,200 in the change from 8.5% to 5%. The loss over 10 years (at age 70) is -$44,951. The number of years needed to make up difference in terms of drop in Rider contributions: ~7 years.

Per Rider's IRS financial documents, over the past ten years, total compensation for "Compensation of current officers, directors, trustees, and key employees" increased by 48%. During the same time period, total salary and benefits for faculty and chairs increased by 5.4%

President Dell'Omo has said faculty are paid above market, but members of his cabinet are not (to justify raises and counter offers). On a student FTE basis, President Dell'Omo is the second highest paid in NJ--he beats Princeton and Rutgers for the honor! This is why I believe Dell'Omo has got to go.
Our Fight to Save WCC is Featured in Inside Higher Ed
October 15, 2018

"A Chinese company that until January went by the name Jiangsu Zhongtai Bridge Steel Structure Company plans to purchase a nonprofit American music college. What could go wrong? Plenty, argue faculty members, donors and alumni who oppose Rider University’s plans to sell the Westminster Choir College....."

www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/10/15/chinese-companies-seek-buy-american-campuses
The 150 page document explaining Rider's 2017 bond has been posted for all to see.

Click here to read/download the document
Discouraged, Disheartened, & Dismayed
by Elizabeth Scheiber

Throughout the fall semester, I've had the opportunity to talk to faculty and staff from across the university, and the message I have received repeatedly is our community feels discouraged, disheartened, and even angry. Many have expressed their dismay at the sale of Westminster. These personal reports echo the statistics the AAUP collected in a survey during the summer. At that time, 84.5% of all faculty and 88% of full-time faculty were dissatisfied with the direction of the university. Add to that the numbers that show a disconnect between what faculty value and what they think the university values, the picture becomes clear. While nearly all of full-time faculty think the three areas teaching, research and value are vital parts of their job (98%, 94% and 97% respectively), they did not think the administration valued it: 75% think the administration does not value research, 64% think it does not value faculty teaching, and 62% think it does not appreciate faculty value activities. No doubt due to that disconnect, 69% of full-time and 61% of part-time faculty said they were considering leaving.
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While the administration may not appreciate all of the hard work we do, we know what we all contribute, and we need to support one another. To that end, we honored faculty who have served on an APC and/or the Promotion and Tenure committee at our November meeting. In the spring, we will celebrate faculty scholarship.

In addition to preparing these appreciation events, the executive committee has been looking at ways we can show how important faculty contributions are to the institution. Come to meetings, check the website, keep you eye out for our communications to find out ways you can let administration know how important your work is.
Governance Standards in Institutional Mergers and Acquisitions
by Elizabeth Scheiber

The statement that follows is excerpted from a longer draft statement, On Institutional Mergers and Acquisitions, which was prepared by a joint subcommittee of the Association’s Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure and the Committee on College and University Governance (Committee T) and approved for publication by the parent committees and by the Association’s Council in November 1981...