--- Forwarded Message from Virginia Lewis <[log in to unmask]> ---

>Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 08:57:29 -0500
>From: Virginia Lewis <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #5106 Alms...
>References: <[log in to unmask]>

------------------
Ed, I'm sorry you are having to go through this.  This was a major battle (and the one which I lost
[arguably] "most badly") at Southwestern.  I was allowed to pay minimum wage - period!  This on top of
a "proctor mentality" overall - where for years students have gotten paid to just sit and do homework
and sign students in occasionally (other labs, "building security" etc.).  So you can imagine how much
fun it was to ask students to do real *work* (user support at an advanced level, multimedia
development, technical troubleshooting at a basic level, loading software, etc.) for min. wage - when
jobs were plentiful where no work was required.  The student manager (who had *significant* duties,
only one of which was scheduling for a center open six days a week, 5 days until midnight) also was
paid min. wage!  I *was* able to get a full-time multimedia internship for the summer for $8.00/$8.50
per hour, but. . .  This is a *huge* issue in the field, and I personally think IALL should find a way
to address it formally.  It ties in so strongly with "institutional culture" that it is very difficult
to address - yet we need to have "industry standards."  I don't know how most of us would get along
without students - they are very *talented* as well - but they need recognition - and part of that
recognition needs to be financial.

Virginia




LLTI-Editor wrote:

> --- Forwarded Message from Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]> ---
>
> >Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 10:41:09 -0400 (EDT)
> >From: Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: Alms...
> >In-reply-to: <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum <[log in to unmask]>
> >Reply-to: Ed Dente <[log in to unmask]>
>
> ------------------
> The small group of mendicants, dressed in the only rags their meager
> incomes allowed, hollow-eyed and gaunt with lack of food, faces downcast,
> but emboldened by their dire circumstances huddled around me, weakly
> chanting, "Sir, can you spare alms for the needy? Please help us..."
>
> I was backed into the corner of my office by the group. I did the only
> thing I could think of, answering them softly,
>  "I'm sorry, but that's all my budget will allow me to pay all you
> student assistants. There's nothing I can do. Believe me, this is the
> prevailing wage for student assistants. I'll get in trouble w/ my
> colleagues in IALL if I try to raise your pay any higher."
>
> "But how will we survive on your measly wages of $6.00 per hour to start
> and going up only to $6.60 after three semesters?" they weakly asked.
> "We really believe that other labs pay their students much, much more than
> that."
>
> "But", I replied, "your fellow student assistant, the student supervisor,
> gets $8.00 per hour".
>
> "She should get $16.00 an hour for trying to put together each semester's
> schedule for 20 assistants", they shouted, even more emboldened. "Tell us
> right now what other labs pay their assistants so that we can really know
> where we stand OR WE'RE WALKING!" (I think they meant to the dining hall
> kitchen dishwashing detail, where they can make a heck of a lot more than
> from me.)
> Encouraged by the strength of their argument, they shouted in unison,
> "SHOW US THE MONEY!"
>
> Hmmm. Embarrassed as I am to admit that this is what I pay our
> student assistants, ($6.00 to start, $6.60 tops)I would like to know how
> close to the bottom this is in comparison with other labs whose directors
> are more humanitarian than I. So, if it isn't asking too much of my
> colleagues, what is the "prevailing wage" for student assistants? I
> promise to compile the responses. That is, if I can fight my way out of
> the corner of my office.
> Cheers,
> Ed "Scrooge" Dente
>
>        "Vendetta ti chiedo,
>         La chiede, il tuo cor..."
>                   -Donna Anna  <Don Giovanni>
>
>   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Edmund N. Dente
> Director, Language Media Center
> Tufts University
> Medford, MA 02155
> Ph: 617-627-3036
> [log in to unmask]
>

--
Virginia L. Lewis
Blustery Day Productions:
Real Teaching with Virtual Technologies
1914 Cervin Blvd.
Austin, TX 78728
512-989-1534
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