The UNC Board of Governors is meeting Friday to review Mary Easley’s 88 percent pay raise and 33 other contracts from the past six fiscal years.
The University has a serious problem if there were already 33 standing contracts from only a few selected departments to submit for Board of Governors review. The fact that it takes a controversy surrounding Easley’s contract to bring this to light is unacceptable. The Board of Governors needs to reduce Easley’s contract and make the details of the duties for her new position freely accessible to students whose tuition dollars are going towards paying her salary.
According to Jim Martin, faculty Senate chair, high-level University administrators are being very vague about the details surrounding Easley’s new contract, claiming that the information is related to personnel issues and thus is not public.
Martin also said the few details Provost Larry Nielsen released regarding Easley’s new position with the University were slim. Easley was tapped to teach two classes for the Administrative Officers Management Program and direct the Center for Public Safety Leadership as part of her contract. However, Martin said Nielsen did not officially initiate the procedure for planning and establishing new centers and institutes at the University and has not even submitted the paperwork to do so.
Regardless, this situation is ridiculous. Easley is now responsible to teach two courses on campus and act as the director of a new center. So why has she not made every effort to publicly explain her goals and plans for her course or describe her plans for the new CPSL?
The University also shares the blame in this controversy. If the policy regarding contracts and rehires for non-tenured faculty members is unclear, it is incumbent on senior University officials to ask the Board of Governors for clarification.
The Board of Governors must take stern measures to prevent future personnel controversies. It needs to take a stand and force transparency – University officials need to be pressured to release more details, and Easley, who has been almost invisible during this controversy, should listen to and answer the questions surrounding her new position.
