2008 Woodie Awards
UVM Faculty Member Blights Fogel with Social and Ethical Irresponsibility
Phd. Brian Everill
Issue date: 4/18/06 Section: Opinion
As you so clearly point out in your letter to the Campus Community of April 15th, 2006 "all of us cherish and uphold academic freedom and the right to the conscientious expression of opinion." However, you go on to say that, "the University of Vermont is concerned about fairness and social responsibility," which seems to need a little debate to say the least, since you appear to be, not a little, confused about just what constitutes "fairness and social responsibility."
Here, it may be necessary to point out to you, yet again, that there are people employed at this time at the University of Vermont who do not earn what the State of Vermont stipulates as a "Livable Wage." This is what your students have forced you to acknowledge.
I wish to point out here that if I had been the president and the students at the institution of which I would have been head had needed to force me to acknowledge such a thing, I would have been ashamed of myself. To have the students of my educational establishment educate me as President, of such an institution, about the need to address such a thing in the first place is a travesty.
It also, does not bode well for your future consideration of any situation regarding those of the less well paid in your institution. Can these "less-well-heeled" people trust such an administration to treat them fairly in the future when the administration is intent on looking the other way until its' students have to step in and force their administration to act with social responsibility?
It is not socially responsible, or fair, to look the other way when people are suffering through not being able to earn a livable wage, especially when you personally, and many of your administration, earn such outrageous salaries for what you do. It is not you that should be given the credit for the formation of a "task force" that will be looking into "the economic welfare and opportunities of lower-paid UVM employees," but the members of your student body, and those associated with them, who have plagued you about this issue for many months. Your so-called, "task force" is well over due.
Here, it may be necessary to point out to you, yet again, that there are people employed at this time at the University of Vermont who do not earn what the State of Vermont stipulates as a "Livable Wage." This is what your students have forced you to acknowledge.
I wish to point out here that if I had been the president and the students at the institution of which I would have been head had needed to force me to acknowledge such a thing, I would have been ashamed of myself. To have the students of my educational establishment educate me as President, of such an institution, about the need to address such a thing in the first place is a travesty.
It also, does not bode well for your future consideration of any situation regarding those of the less well paid in your institution. Can these "less-well-heeled" people trust such an administration to treat them fairly in the future when the administration is intent on looking the other way until its' students have to step in and force their administration to act with social responsibility?
It is not socially responsible, or fair, to look the other way when people are suffering through not being able to earn a livable wage, especially when you personally, and many of your administration, earn such outrageous salaries for what you do. It is not you that should be given the credit for the formation of a "task force" that will be looking into "the economic welfare and opportunities of lower-paid UVM employees," but the members of your student body, and those associated with them, who have plagued you about this issue for many months. Your so-called, "task force" is well over due.
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