How Other Big Ten Schools Are Approaching The Budget Problem

Penn State's leadership and its minions have trotted out excuses for the University's dismal economic position adding that, "other universities are facing problems" and "other universities are laying off workers" and on and on.

It's probably true: poor fiscal management and over-ambitious spending are not exclusive to Penn State; there are other Universities that made bad moves at bad times and now they--or usually their faithful employees--are paying the price.

However, it's equally true that there are Universities that are in much better shape fiscally because their leadership made good decisions. Some of these are the Universities in Penn State's own conference, the Big Ten.

While the economy has hit all the Big Ten schools, including Michigan and Michigan State, which are located in the hard-hit home of the declining auto industry, none of the schools' reactions appear to be approaching the severity we are facing at Penn State.

The University of Michigan, in fact, appears to be going on with its construction schedule. No word from Michigan State about problems like the ones facing Penn State, in fact it was recently named one of the best places to work in academia, so hats off.

University of Wisconsin is hard hit, but the leadership is actually asking its staff, faculty and students to find ways to save money, instead of unilaterally declaring war on their livelihood.

Imagine!

Who Silenced Us?

A cult-like abhorrence to question anything uttered by Old Main pervades Penn State's culture. Silence and apathy are the glues that bind the Penn State way.

If you work at Penn State, decisions are made by the administration and those edicts are expected to be treated as though they're etched on stone tablets and brought down from Old Main by Moses.

Your opinion on tuition hikes, salary cuts, job titles, working conditions, spending decisions and building projects aren't needed. After all, you're fortunate just to have a job. Managers have little say if those decisions are off target, either; they're just responsible for pulling the trigger.

Penn State employees are disconnected from the Penn State legacy, a legacy that is reserved for deans and presidents, trustees and chancellors, whose pictures, they believe, will one day adorn the hallowed halls and ivory towers that they spend so much money on.

And, exactly, what type of legacy will it be? High tuition. Crippling debt. Reckless spending. Declining wages. Hostile working conditions.

It's time that Penn State staff members realize that they are critical in re-righting one of Pennsylvania's proudest educational institutions. If we are expected to sacrifice, we should at least be able to add a voice to the decisions that affect our students and our future.

Penn State Values and the Value of Penn State Staff

What is the core of Penn State values?
It isn't people.
In the most recent strategic plan the word "staff" is found three times, and only then referring to diversity and resource sharing.
The words "employee" or "employees" never appear.
Contrast this with one of the State College area's premier employers Restek. They make employees the center of their values.
From their Culture and Philosophy page:

Restek was founded on the vision of a place where people look forward to coming to work as much as they look forward to going home—a vision of a company whose successes make it a model for others to emulate.

What is more troubling is that Penn State's core mission, according to the Strategic Plan, is:

"Penn State will be the nation’s finest university in the
integration of teaching, research, and service."

Teaching? That requires people.
Research? That requires people.
Service? That requires people.
The lack of respect for staff and the minimal value the administration holds for the people charged with accomplishing these tasks doom these objectives.
In the lofty rush to become "the nation's finest university" and a Big Ten powerhouse, to build snazzy buildings and concert venues, the administration and leadership has lost focused of what made Penn State a great university: People.
Recent actions are just a reflection of this attitude.

Thankful Is A Two-Way Street

By now you've heard the corporate mantra--you should just be thankful you have a job.
And we should.
By now, we've heard a couple of comments like this one, which appeared as a comment to the CDT story:

The point is, you're a bunch of whiners, but you know you have the best gig and can't leave. Appreciate it!

Your job security should be worth an extra few grand to you -- because there's not many other places looking to hire whiners right now!

Penn State staff is often portrayed as a bunch of pampered slackers. But, it hasn't been my experience, the slacking is no more rampant than in other jobs, I suspect. Probably less so, because most of these critics probably don't understand the depth of the bureaucracy at Penn State and the lack of leadership.
Each year students come to the Penn State system in record numbers, each year Penn State staff is pushed to the brink of capacity.
Don't sell yourselves short. The University could not run without you.
The leadership at Penn State should be thankful, too.

Penn State: What's Happening?

At one time Penn State had a reputation of being the a great employer, whether you worked at the main campus or one of the branch campuses.
If you talk to workers now, you'll find a full spectrum of opinions. Some of the long-timers that have been here for over ten years say that Penn State, as an employer, has slipped. Some say fallen.
There's a couple reasons for this. Other employers in the area have made efforts to retain their staff members with better pay.
Penn State leadership would counter that the University offers more quality-of-life benefits. This is debatable. A lot of companies and startups are offer improved quality-of-life... flex scheduling, gym use, vacation and sick leave, etc.
For the first time, quality people are leaving the university, looking for jobs outside Penn State. And this has continued even in the current treacherous economic conditions.