February 13, 1981
Elaine Hedges, Coordinator, Women's Studies
Annette Flower
Enrollment
I have ascertained that Bill Reuling did not authorize anyone at in-person registration to raise the limits of WMST 231 section 2 beyond 35. My best guess is that somehow someone working the table got confused because of the higher limits on WMST 331, which is team-taught.
As I explained to you on Friday, there is no way a part-time faculty member could be paid for one section as a double section, even if funds were available; in any case, the expected size of a double section is 60-75. On the other hand, splitting the section (again if money were available to do so) would necessitate finding an available room (at this point it would have to be at a non-prime hour) and persuading somewhere near half the students to shift to the newly-created section. Given the lack of part-time funds, that option isn't open to us anyway.
I have, as you requested on Monday, again discussed the matter with Vice President Cox. However, he will not and cannot authorize any additional payment for Judy Markowitz on the basis of the size of section 2.
We do not pay full-time or part-time faculty on a headcount basis and, as a Regular Part-Time faculty member, Judy is already paid considerably above the rate paid to most part time faculty and on a pro rata basis comparable to that of full-time-faculty in such disciplines as economics, political science, and accounting, full time faculty who routinely teach introductory sections of 40-50 students.
I can only suggest that, if Judy wants to balance the two sections, she persuade some students to transfer, formally or informally, from section 2 to section 1. If Judy wishes to insist on the class limit of 35, she can turn away twelve of the students; in that case, she may wish to guarantee those students a special permit for the next time the class is offered.
I know that when enrollments are booming, it is difficult for the faculty to understand that the university is under severe financial constraints. Nevertheless, the situation is serious in the current fiscal year and more than serious in the year that begins July 1. In the current year, we have been able to provide sufficient part time faculty only by curtailing expenditures in other areas. In the FY82 budget, preliminary analysis indicates a shortfall of some $800,000 (equal to the university's entire part-time faculty budget) which must be made up by the strictest economy measures. For that reason, I am not hopeful about funding a section of Women and the Law, though I will look at the situation closely when exact figures are available.
AF/DD
