HSSU-NEA NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DEROGATORY ARTICLE ABOUT PRESIDENT WALKER

Last week the St. Louis Evening Whirl, a local “gossip” newsletter, published a derogatory article about Harris-Stowe State University president, Albert Walker, which referenced HSSU-NEA.  HSSU-NEA categorically denies any direct involvement in the article.  HSSU-NEA also has not called for a “vote of no confidence” in Dr. Walker this fall.

HSSU-NEA’s efforts to secure a collective bargaining agreement are neither about President Walker nor his administration.  It is about promoting the interests of the Harris-Stowe State University faculty and the Harris-Stowe State University student body.  What HSSU-NEA wants is to:

• Improve HSSU enrollment management strategy for student recruitment and retention.
• Improve student campus life at HSSU.
• Improve salary and benefits to attract, recruit, and retain the best possible full-time and adjunct faculty for HSSU students.
• Recruit a more diverse student population at HSSU.
• Increase professional development opportunities, create and implement best practice tenure and promotion policies, expand the number of sabbaticals available, and strengthen the selection process to produce a more robust HSSU faculty.
• Own the development of a curriculum that will offer students more academic choices. 
• Have more direct involvement in advising HSSU students.

THE UPCOMING RAISE AT HARRIS-STOWE STATE UNIVERSITY

At the May, 2013 Board of Regents meeting, the HSSU administration reported it was considering a 3% across the board raise which would go into effect this fall.  Since the HSSU-NEA has been organizing to achieve a collective bargaining agreement for over a year, HSSU-NEA believes that it is no coincidence that a raise was discussed at this time.

Although a raise is a step in the right direction, HSSU-NEA has other important concerns besides a salary increase that include: salary parity, curricular control, student recruitment/retention, faculty development, hiring practices, etc.

It is the position of the HSSU-NEA that capital improvements in recent years have taken precedence over academic programs at the university.  HSSU-NEA would like to work with the administration and the board in establishing new financial priorities.

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HSSU-NEA seeks to work toward a better future for the university’s students and in making teaching and learning the main priority at Harris-Stowe State University.