Questions for the president

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Questions Received

• From your communication on April 1, you stated: “Effective immediately, we are freezing the current salaries for all WSU executive leadership at the dean, chancellor, vice chancellor, vice president, provost, and president level at least through fiscal year 2021 (June 30, 2021).” Does this mean that these leadership positions were due to get a salary increase and no longer are going to get it?
• Will faculty in high-risk categories for COVID-19 (underlying health concerns and/or age) be allowed to continue teaching online for fall 2020? Faculty in these categories believe resuming face-to-face instruction might put them at undue risk given that COVID-19 will still be of concern by fall.
• A number of my colleagues remained concerned, despite some recent progress, about the long term impact of the athletic deficit on our ability to fund academic programs going forward. That concern is amplified under current circumstances. Will you commit to not using the University’s financial reserves to fill in behind any increased athletic deficits that may result from canceled sports seasons this Spring or next Fall?
• Can you give us an update on the Provost’s Search? Anticipated schedule? Face-to-face interviews or Zoom only?
• The president of the University of Oregon announced a temporary reduction of 12% to his pay and a 10% pay cut to his vice presidents and athletic director for the next six months with the possibility of an extension. Stanford’s provost and president announced they were taking a 20% pay cut while other senior administrators would be taking a 5-10% pay cut. USC’s president announced she will take a 20% pay cut. Outside of the Pac-12, Iowa State University is imposing a one-year temporary pay reduction for their athletics department’s coaches and certain athletics staff totaling more than $3 million. You have announced a salary freeze for all WSU executive leadership through FY2021. While it is too early to fully take stock of the financial hardship WSU will experience from the pandemic, are you willing to take these more drastic actions (substantial pay cuts) that your Pac-12 and Power Five counterparts have if necessary to help preserve staff and faculty positions in the event of looming layoffs, furloughs, and academic program cuts? Will the athletics department be held to the same standards so that other parts of the WSU budget do not need to be tightened further to offset any additional debt of the athletics department might incur from the pandemic?

Source: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2020/04/06/pay-cuts-university-presidents-coaches

• Is there any university plan for helping care for the young kids of faculty or students who come down with the virus and must be hospitalized or quarantined? Most of us here in Pullman come from elsewhere and do not have kin close by to help care for our young ones. This would be especially problematic for single parents of very young kids, including infants, but it would also apply to cases in which both parents/guardians become ill. Keep in mind that the kids would probably also have to be quarantined, having been exposed to their infected parents. Thanks.
• Would the administration consider adding a member from Senate Leadership to the Executive Committee that is making day to day decisions concerning the virus response?