To the Editor:
I read with dismay your article on wages paid by MSU. I understand that the wages of the top echelon may be of interest to the public. I understand that the levels of pay overall can be of interest to the public when compared to other universities, or private industry, or other locations. I understand that the total paid in wages may be of interest to the public as a matter of university budget, tax increase proposals or other related concerns.
However, I am deeply offended that you would publish the individual wages of each staff and faculty member. I do not see how the specific wage of any particular individual below the leadership level is of public concern. It is particularly insensitive to those of us who are students who are married to staff -you’ve invaded the privacy of not only the staff, but the students who are part of their families. How can it possibly be in the public’s interest to know what each individual janitor earns? What each individual technician, food service, or administrative assistant earns?
This is incredibly insensitive to the people who serve the students of this university. Salaries are always sensitive issues, and now you’ve made it possible for every staff member to be unnecessarily distracted by knowing what their peers are earning.
You’ve just given an entire community the ability to make judgments about performance levels of each individual. And created an immense opportunity for anger among peers: how many are now going to say “I work just as hard as that guy and look at what he makes!” or “Look how much less Johnny is making than I am – he must have got a horrible performance review.”
YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED!!
Since you obviously don’t see this as any kind of violation of the families’ privacy, I demand that you publish the salaries of every member of your immediate family: father, mother, spouse, siblings, in-laws, etc. What? You don’t want to do that? The very reasons coursing through your mind right now are things you should have thought of when you published rank and file salaries of the staff and faculty. They are people with families and neighbors. You’ve violated their privacy. Don’t be surprised if you see a reduction in services from these professionals. You’ve earned it!
A spouse and student of MSU,
Mary Williams