YSU faculty, staff have made many sacrifices in pay, workload

YSU faculty, staff have made many sacrifices in pay, workload

In last Sunday’s editorial, The Vindicator argues that Youngstown State University faculty and staff are greedy and selfish, unwilling to “sacrifice” for the good of the community. I’d like to set the record straight.

YSU faculty have made sacrifices by increasing our share of our health-care costs and expanding our workloads. We have also worked with the administration on controlling costs through a joint union-administration committee and through the institution of a wellness program.

Faculty workloads have also increased. Enrollment has grown by about a third in the last decade, but the number of full-time faculty has not kept pace. More students require more hours of teaching and advising. In my department, for example, general education literature courses now enroll 45 students, about a third more than in a typical course a decade ago.

As YSU develops new programs to serve the needs of the local community, faculty play a role in developing, reviewing, and implementing new curricula, advising students and supervising student research. At the same time, since YSU was just recently designated an “urban research university,” and as we strive to serve the local community more actively, faculty feel pressure to increase research productivity and play a larger role in working with local organizations, contributing valued expertise to the local economy and quality of life.

We also make a financial sacrifice simply by working at YSU, where salaries are lower than at almost any other Ohio university. Despite the salary increases that your editorial casts as a “boon” for faculty, YSU faculty have lost ground relative to our peers.

The Vindicator used figures for full professors, so let me do the same. Full professors at state universities in communities like Toledo, Kent, and the Detroit metro area — areas that have comparable economic conditions — earn an average of about $10,000 more per year than their peers at YSU. In 2005, faculty finally climbed out of the basement of faculty salaries in Ohio. That year’s contract put us near the middle of the pack compared with our colleagues at other Ohio public universities. Since then, we’ve fallen behind, and today, we’re back near the bottom.

Sherry Lee Linkon, Professor of English and American Studies at YSU

Amid SB5 debate, don’t forget shenanigans of former governors

In a recent letter writer’s hurry to endorse the Republicans singing the praises of SB5 under the influence of Gov. Kasich, she fails to mention all the milk and honey that flowed in Columbus for 16 years under the guidance of Govs. George Voinovich and Bob Taft, which definitely contributed to the current state deficit.

Meanwhile, buried on Page 13 of The Vindicator is a story about illegal activity regarding charter schools and their link with the GOP. Go figure!

The letter writer can weep crocodile tears for Ohio, but don’t blame it on public-employee unions. Of the 22 Right-to-Work states, only two of those states have lower percentage of public employees on the payroll than Ohio.

Unions have been endorsed by a plethora of polls and writers, as well as Presidents Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Kennedy, as being good for America. They didn’t let abject ideology get in the way.

JOHN ZORDICH, Youngstown

Chico’s death proves we need more strict animal-abuse laws

Yes, I’m dog lover and even if I wasn’t, I think the death of Chico, the police K-9 dog, was reprehensible and totally unnecessary.

Where is the common sense? Who in their right mind leaves a dog in a car, air/conditioning on or not, for almost four hours? I don’t care if the car had an alarm or bells or whistles; there’s no guarantee they would work, and the risk was too great to depend on that technology.

The police chief said the handler “went wild” when he found the dog close to death. Well, boo-hoo! Too little too late. Why didn’t he think about that four hours before he left Chico in the car?

The handler should be fired, compensate the department for the cost of the dog, serve 1,000 hours of community service rescuing abused animals and never be allowed to own a dog. Unfortunately, our animal laws are so weak and pitiful, he’ll never get jail time and probably only get a slap on the wrist.

This should be a wake-up call for state legislators to pass strict laws with jail-time for animal abuse. It is said the moral progress of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated. You can see the deterioration of our country, and this incident is a prime example.

Chico’s having served America in Iraq makes his death even more heartbreaking. What was more important — working an extra shift or leaving Chico at home and being cared for properly?

If this would have taken place 100 years ago, he would have been “tarred and feathered and run out-of-town.” There can be no mitigating circumstances in this case. I’ll be interested in the final result, or will it take months to review and drag out and then get shoved under the rug. To the handler: Shame on you!

To Chico: Well done, my good and faithful servant!

TERRY GALLAGHER, Youngstown

SI article on Coach Tressel is filled with innuendoes

The recent article in Sports SFLBIllustrated regarding Jim Tressel dating back to his Youngstown State University years is misleading and full of innuendos from my perspective.

I am pleased that former YSU President Dr. Les Cochran has denied the “inner family” quote. I had the good fortune of being the YSU Alumni Association president in 1993 and served on the YSU Alumni Board. For six years, I was afforded the opportunity to travel with the team on numerous occasions and was proud to be with young men who represented our university and the Mahoning Valley in such an exemplary fashion.

To even suggest that Jim Tressel was expected to rein in a rogue YSU trustee president who had no regard for rules and regulations is laughable at best. Jim Tressel has touched the lives of young men and women positively either directly or indirectly for over 30 years.

Jim Tressel is a class individual whom I would want my son or daughter to spend time with to comprehend his values and have his character etched into their minds and hearts. Lastly, he has never forgotten the Mahoning Valley. He attends numerous fundraisers and promotes all that is good about the Youngstown area. Jim, I wish you and your family the very best. Keep moving forward as there are many more young people’s lives you will impact positively. The Mahoning Valley will never forget you!

Garry L. Mrozek, CEO Hometown Pharmacy Solutions, Boardman

Money still buys justice in Valley

We have some of the best politicians money can buy here in Mahoning County — plus all the fringe benefits that come with the job including pockets full of cash.

Being politically correct in 2011 involves interest-free loans never to be repaid. They were better known as bribes when I grew in Youngstown in the 1950s.

And they say money can’t buy you justice. Well please tell that to the Youngstown judge in jail. It seems like it bought someone justice from her.

And when they are caught, they say they’re always sorry, but they’re sorry because they got caught.

I would suppose this is just the tip of the iceberg; it’s never ending. Here in Youngstown money talks, and some politicians must have been listening as it seems from the indictments being handed down.

Bill Bilicki, Youngstown