by Ian Kennedy
At the October meeting of the Davis Faculty Association Board, discussion centered on the financial solvency and viability of the Association. Despite some recent, modest successes in recruiting, membership in the Association over the past year has declined due to retirements. Our membership has declined from 141 in January of 2005 to 128 in August of 2006.
The financial reserves of the Association have declined by about $8000 dollars over this period. Our major expenses have been dues that we pay to the Council of UC Faculty Associations (our major lobbying organization), the salary we pay to Myrna Hays who works for us as the Executive Director of the Association, and printing of the newsletter that we used as a recruitment tool last year. We cannot, in fact, afford to send a print newsletter this time; thus you are receiving this via email. We have very little room for economizing and reducing our expenses.
Therefore, the board regretfully decided to increase our dues by a small amount for Professors and for Emeritus Professors. We will ask Professors to pay $23 per month. We will also ask Emeritus Professors to pay $35 per year and encourage those who are able and willing to do so to donate more than the set dues amount. This is the first dues increase in six years. In the hope of recruiting new members –especially younger faculty — we have decided to set the dues for Assistant Professors at $10 per month, and for Associate Professors at $15 per month.
This dues structure will ensure the financial health of the Association for the foreseeable future. However, it is incumbent upon all members to do their utmost to recruit new members into the Association to guarantee its continued vitality and health. We cannot afford to continue to lose members to retirement. Although the board was reluctant to increase the dues, we saw no other way to ensure the financial stability of the Association. Success in recruiting new members will ensure that we do not have to undergo a similar reconsideration of the dues in the near future. We appreciate your support.