LOMBARDI: Theology department challenges Marquette to live up to its Catholic identity
By Eric Lombardi
Most universities pay similar wages as Marquette to non-faculty professors, and only a handful offer benefits.
Among those universities that offer all professors benefits are University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and DePaul University in Chicago.
Today at Marquette, there are 23 adjunct English professors, seven in the theology department, five in theater, two in philosophy and several more in other departments.
Theology is the only department to date that has moved for change, but the motion does cut across department lines.
Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department James South said he would support the motion.
"Any professor at Marquette deserves benefits," South said.
But the reality is that the motion will most likely fall on the deaf ears of the administration.
Let's not forget that the administration has a track record of continually ignoring the opinions of its professors and students- you can find dozens of examples of this if you skim through Tribune headlines over the last few years.
And judging from Marquette future Provost John Pauly's, responses to my questions, the status quo probably won't be changing anytime soon.
After saying he doesn't want to "take a position on the resolution," Pauly went on to say "the administration is always working to find more ways to better and fully support part-time faculty but there is always difficulty … and we must consider the necessary trade-offs in order to afford it."
Essentially the administration thinks it's more important to pay a coach $1.6 million a year to teach boys how to bounce basketballs than to provide fair benefits to its professors.
My thoughts are these: The money is there and if we're going to call ourselves Catholic and we're going to teach Catholic doctrine, which emphasizes the value of human life, then we better be ready to back up that teaching.
Among those universities that offer all professors benefits are University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and DePaul University in Chicago.
Today at Marquette, there are 23 adjunct English professors, seven in the theology department, five in theater, two in philosophy and several more in other departments.
Theology is the only department to date that has moved for change, but the motion does cut across department lines.
Professor and Chair of the Philosophy Department James South said he would support the motion.
"Any professor at Marquette deserves benefits," South said.
But the reality is that the motion will most likely fall on the deaf ears of the administration.
Let's not forget that the administration has a track record of continually ignoring the opinions of its professors and students- you can find dozens of examples of this if you skim through Tribune headlines over the last few years.
And judging from Marquette future Provost John Pauly's, responses to my questions, the status quo probably won't be changing anytime soon.
After saying he doesn't want to "take a position on the resolution," Pauly went on to say "the administration is always working to find more ways to better and fully support part-time faculty but there is always difficulty … and we must consider the necessary trade-offs in order to afford it."
Essentially the administration thinks it's more important to pay a coach $1.6 million a year to teach boys how to bounce basketballs than to provide fair benefits to its professors.
My thoughts are these: The money is there and if we're going to call ourselves Catholic and we're going to teach Catholic doctrine, which emphasizes the value of human life, then we better be ready to back up that teaching.
Published: 4/22/08 Section: Viewpoints
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