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Why doesn’t the university admin sacrifice? Are they the ones being laid off/made to work overtime/at risk of infection? No, they’re not. I hate this idea that

Why doesn’t the university admin sacrifice? Are they the ones being laid off/made to work overtime/at risk of infection? No, they’re not. I hate this idea that only the individual is responsible when things go bad.

analog31 6y ago
Do you know it to be a fact that the admin's don't work overtime? I live in the shadow of a major state university, so I know a lot of people who work there, and for most of them the idea of working a normal 40 hour week is a pipe dream. It wouldn't shock me that they are working hours on top of their usual 50+ hour weeks to deal with covid issues. This isn't unusual for so called "exempt" employees in the US. I once read that the average professional work week in the US is 50 hours.
- Ar-Curunir 6y ago
  Admin != staff. Staff are those that work with professors and students directly. They’re very hard workers and keep the system moving smoothly, and get paid poorly. The admin I’m talking about are the “provost of XYZ”, who don’t do anything worthwhile, but take in massive salaries, and keep pivoting universities away from education to “student satisfaction”
dredmorbius 6y ago
Universities have high fixed and structural costs, and to date, little has been done to address these. Several have openly stated that residence revenues (dorm fees and foodservice) are a major concern. These conflicts will continue absent means to: 1. Discharge present obligations (debt, payroll, contracts). 2. Sustain functional capacity (building and systems maintenance, skills capacity, reputation). 3. Provide minimum sufficient income for idled staff., faculty, and contractors. 4. Provide for continuity of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. Writ large this is the problem facing economies as a whole. Universities and colleges are merely one visible and vocal sector. The problem is not one of economic stimulus or simple financial reform. It's of preventive and sustaining care for the entire economy until the global health emergency is resolved.
- Ar-Curunir 6y ago
  > It's of preventive and sustaining care for the entire economy until the global health emergency is resolved. How about we stop caring about the global economy, and start caring about the people instead?
  - dredmorbius 6y ago
    In this case the terms are effectively synonymous. This world won't support 7.8 billions of souls, even in the short term without the collective activity we call "the economy", here a stand-in for all productive capacity worldwide. In the long term, even that is likely not viable, which raises some interesting questions. My point wasn't that we need to sustain some monetary/financial engine. It's that the institutions and organisations which make our world possible will cease to exist absent some means of addressing operational requirements. The situation is analogous to a person who is sick and requires assistance to survice; nfood, water, medical treatment, but also support for bills, rent, and essentials, while they cannot work. Small-business failures in the US are approaching 50% for 2020. A third of tenants, residential and commercial, have stopped paying rent. Colleges are part of this same system, and face similar hurdles. Many were already in precarious shape, and it's likely that many will close. Regardless of your sympathies, this will have profound effects.

analog31 6y ago

Do you know it to be a fact that the admin's don't work overtime? I live in the shadow of a major state university, so I know a lot of people who work there, and for most of them the idea of working a normal 40 hour week is a pipe dream. It wouldn't shock me that they are working hours on top of their usual 50+ hour weeks to deal with covid issues. This isn't unusual for so called "exempt" employees in the US. I once read that the average professional work week in the US is 50 hours.

Ar-Curunir 6y ago
Admin != staff. Staff are those that work with professors and students directly. They’re very hard workers and keep the system moving smoothly, and get paid poorly. The admin I’m talking about are the “provost of XYZ”, who don’t do anything worthwhile, but take in massive salaries, and keep pivoting universities away from education to “student satisfaction”

dredmorbius 6y ago

Universities have high fixed and structural costs, and to date, little has been done to address these. Several have openly stated that residence revenues (dorm fees and foodservice) are a major concern. These conflicts will continue absent means to: 1. Discharge present obligations (debt, payroll, contracts). 2. Sustain functional capacity (building and systems maintenance, skills capacity, reputation). 3. Provide minimum sufficient income for idled staff., faculty, and contractors. 4. Provide for continuity of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. Writ large this is the problem facing economies as a whole. Universities and colleges are merely one visible and vocal sector. The problem is not one of economic stimulus or simple financial reform. It's of preventive and sustaining care for the entire economy until the global health emergency is resolved.

Ar-Curunir 6y ago
> It's of preventive and sustaining care for the entire economy until the global health emergency is resolved. How about we stop caring about the global economy, and start caring about the people instead?
- dredmorbius 6y ago
  In this case the terms are effectively synonymous. This world won't support 7.8 billions of souls, even in the short term without the collective activity we call "the economy", here a stand-in for all productive capacity worldwide. In the long term, even that is likely not viable, which raises some interesting questions. My point wasn't that we need to sustain some monetary/financial engine. It's that the institutions and organisations which make our world possible will cease to exist absent some means of addressing operational requirements. The situation is analogous to a person who is sick and requires assistance to survice; nfood, water, medical treatment, but also support for bills, rent, and essentials, while they cannot work. Small-business failures in the US are approaching 50% for 2020. A third of tenants, residential and commercial, have stopped paying rent. Colleges are part of this same system, and face similar hurdles. Many were already in precarious shape, and it's likely that many will close. Regardless of your sympathies, this will have profound effects.