2008 Woodie Awards
Payroll for summer faculty top concern at senate
By Ryan Johnston
Issue date: 2/22/08 Section: News
Originally published: 2/21/08 at 3:57 PM CSTLast update: 2/25/08 at 5:33 AM CST
Faculty Senate Wednesday gave a list of nine pertinent questions to James McLaughlin, vice chancellor of administration.
McLaughlin was on a tight schedule, so after a quick introduction, the vice chancellor started firing off answers.
The first concerned faculty members who work a full summer load and a penalty of extra withholding taxes because of the way payroll computes taxes in summer, and why their paychecks are not disbursed over a longer period.
Currently, they get paid during the summer, but they may not get their check until five weeks after the semester starts. In a regular fall or spring semester they get paid every two weeks and they wanted to continue this into the summer.
"The payroll office thinks they are doing it consistent with when the work is being done," McLaughlin said. "The system isn't smart. The solution is to adjust the withholding and try to figure out a way to speed up the process."
At the moment, McLaughlin said summer contracts are handled the same way as contracts for adjunct faculty, who often must wait long periods for pay.
He added that new faculty will not get paid until their contract has been approved by the district board of trustees because the payroll office does not give them their money until their name is released from the district.
"We have got to change that," he said. "I've got to find a more polite way to say this to them, but they have got to see their role as a part of problem solving."
McLaughlin also was asked about any efforts being made to make the payroll check stub reflect the complete and accurate amount of money sent to Optional Retirement Plan carriers.
"I didn't like the answer I got," he said. "I could do this in a heartbeat if people on the first floor spoke to the people on the second floor. The system has that information and will get it on the paycheck."
He added that when pay stubs are being prepared, it is a matter of telling the stub there is another field that needs to be watched.
McLaughlin was on a tight schedule, so after a quick introduction, the vice chancellor started firing off answers.
The first concerned faculty members who work a full summer load and a penalty of extra withholding taxes because of the way payroll computes taxes in summer, and why their paychecks are not disbursed over a longer period.
Currently, they get paid during the summer, but they may not get their check until five weeks after the semester starts. In a regular fall or spring semester they get paid every two weeks and they wanted to continue this into the summer.
"The payroll office thinks they are doing it consistent with when the work is being done," McLaughlin said. "The system isn't smart. The solution is to adjust the withholding and try to figure out a way to speed up the process."
At the moment, McLaughlin said summer contracts are handled the same way as contracts for adjunct faculty, who often must wait long periods for pay.
He added that new faculty will not get paid until their contract has been approved by the district board of trustees because the payroll office does not give them their money until their name is released from the district.
"We have got to change that," he said. "I've got to find a more polite way to say this to them, but they have got to see their role as a part of problem solving."
McLaughlin also was asked about any efforts being made to make the payroll check stub reflect the complete and accurate amount of money sent to Optional Retirement Plan carriers.
"I didn't like the answer I got," he said. "I could do this in a heartbeat if people on the first floor spoke to the people on the second floor. The system has that information and will get it on the paycheck."
He added that when pay stubs are being prepared, it is a matter of telling the stub there is another field that needs to be watched.
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