MassCommunication chair Ted White has filed a grievance against Southern Universityfor receiving a $7,000 pay cut and is resigning his position at the end of thespring semester.
“The universitydid not pay me the funds that the chancellor promised to pay for chairs whotook part in the grade review procedures,” White said.
“Chairs thattook part in the grade review committees that took part in the classes for thesummer would be fully compensated and would suffer no penalty as a result ofgiving up there classes,” White said.
After servingon the board of a grade review committee and resigning from classroom activitiesWhite said he still was penalized because he received a pay cut.
“Afterwards Ireceived $7,000 less than I normally would; it was a reduction from the amountI would have normally received from teaching (a summer session),” he said.
According toWhite, if he would have taught the two classes instead of surrendering them hewould have received $7,000 more.
“I am accusingthe chancellor of reneging on his promise and as a result of that, I not onlyfiled a grievance but I informed the administration that I am retiring indisgust at the end of the spring semester,” White said.
White said hewas hired 14 years ago to get the department accredited and upon his retirementthe department is going up for reaccreditation at the fall of 2005 or spring2006.
“We are goingto conduct a national search to replace Mr. White,” said Johnny E. Tolliver,vice chancellor of academic affairs. “I am sure once we put this in theChronicle and other places we will get good applicants.”
Tolliver servedas the mass communication department chair at Jackson State University, inJackson Miss.
He is currentlyplanning to conduct a meeting with members of the mass communication departmentand other people from around campus to discuss his plans for the department.
“It seems to methat the mass comm department at a school, as large as SU with an accreditedundergraduate and masters program, they should have a television and radiostation,” Tolliver said.
He is workingto produce a National Public Radio station and a television station that canbroadcast in neighboring communities.
“I believeSouthern deserves its own radio station not only for training, but havingSouthern out on the airwaves spreading good news, educating the nation andproviding good will in the community,” Tolliver said.
