In response to your editorial on the Eastern Michigan University faculty strike, which appears as if it was taken from the administration's press releases without looking at the other side:

Myth: The university offered annual pay raises of 3 percent for five years, plus a pension increase.

Fact: After considering the additional health care costs faculty are being asked to incur, and after very modest expected inflation, the faculty are being asked to take a loss.

Myth: State aid was cut for several years

Fact: The last 4 years of State appropriations were $74.9 million in 2004, $79.1 million in 2005, $75.9 million in 2006, and $78.2 million in 2007. This is not a cut, but incredible stability.

Myth: EMU Professors make more than their peers around the State

Fact: This is totally and completely erroneous. The administration is using a survey that is not credible, is not averaging the numbers properly, and has not revealed what universities are in their comparable pool. The EMU-AAUP has put three different comparable groups of salaries on its website, at http://www.emu-aaup.org/files/aaupsalaryproposal.pdf. This file contains all of the comparable universities, and the full analysis of those plans. For public universities in Michigan, EMU full professors are 11^th out of 15 in average pay. For the Mid-American Conference, EMU full professors are 11^th out of 12. For a 3^rd set of comparable universities, EMU full professors are 15^th out of 20.

Myth: Faculty has been doing less work.

Fact: Faculty has not been doing less work. In fact, Eastern Michigan University faculty members have the highest teaching loads in the state, teaching 4 classes per term. Faculty has taught a lower percentage of total credit hours, as our work has been outsourced to part time people.

Facts that have been omitted:

• The EMU-AAUP has put all of the justification for its proposals on its website, and this was presented at negotiations. The administration had absolutely NO justification for their proposals. The numbers cited in the editorial were never presented at the negotiating table.

• EMU administrators make 25% more than the average salary of an EMU faculty member ($86,000 versus $68,000).

• When compared to other public universities in Michigan, EMU administrators are among the highest paid in the State.

• When compared to other public universities in Michigan, EMU has more administrators per student than almost any school in the state.

Howard Bunsis

Professor of Accounting

President, EMU-AAUP