UNCW Responds

Below is an email from Cindy Lawson, Assistant to the Chancellor, regarding my article in The Conservative Hawk:

Hi Kevin,

I read your article in The Conservative Hawk and wanted to let you know that your information is not correct.  The salaries for each of the years appear to be accurate, as are the percentage of increases.  But the conclusions you have reached in your article are inaccurate.  Those raises were given in October of 2008 at a time when the state and the university were not facing the fiscal constraints they face today.  In some cases, those raises were the result of ITSD’s reorganization.  In other cases, they were equity or raises that resulted from the state’s reassessment of market rates for IT salaries.  In fact, most, if not all, employees received raises during that year, although the state had not yet implemented the new banding process for other positions.  Those raises are still realized in today’s salaries.

I also wanted you to know that, with few exceptions, there have been no salary raises for 2009-2010.  Those exceptions include about 40+ faculty who were promoted from assistant professor to associate professor or from associate professor to full professor.  Five staff persons also received raises, either because they were promoted to new position or applied and were hired for new positions paying more in other university departments.

Let me know if you have any additional questions.

Cynthia Lawson

Assistant to the Chancellor

Marketing and Communications

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Cell: (910) 279-0479

lawsonc@uncw.edu

I have also posted the audio here from when she called in to correct us on The Big Talker FM. Enjoy, it’s a great conversation. Thom Goolsby was guest hosting for Curtis Wright and it is a spirited debate. The Conservative Hawk on The Big Talker FM