This letter will hopefully bring some clarity to the recent situation created by the faculty of Chattanooga State Community College. It is based upon my tenure as a member of the faculty at Chattanooga State Technical Institute, the transformation to Chattanooga State Community College, and my service as the financial and administrative officer at Chattanooga State until my retirement in 1997.
The faculty serves as the educational or instruction branch of the college and the administrative branch structure is not part of their job description. The Faculty Senate should be concerned with matters concerning the academic program and not the structure or function of the administration. Their recent incursion into the addition or creation of an administrative staff position goes beyond their area of their authority or job description. They had no role or authority in establishing the salary or value of any administrative position. That role is reserved for the president of the college.
The recent series of newspaper articles are a disgrace. The president of the Faculty Senate should never have discussed the matter with the press. His presentation of the matter was beyond his authority and demonstrates an individual bias. The newspaper presentation contained a partial statement of the facts. If he was the source of a "rumor of behavior," he had better have proof of it because he was the source of such a rumor and can be sued for damages. The newspaper article identifies him as the source of the "rumor" which means that either of the two named individuals can sue for damages.
Dr Catanzaro should be congratulated for identifying the role and need for this position in question. I believe he was fortunate to find an individual capable of performing the new job description. That position requires a very rare talent and ability. Additionally, the market for this talent determined salary needed to attract such a rare individual. It is not up to the faculty determine what such a position or individual is worth. The person selected was determined by a committee process and not by the president, Dr. Catanzaro.
I believe that I'm qualified to opine on the current matter at CSTCC. My academic degrees are a BS, MBA and a Doctor of Education. I am a certified data processor. Additionally, prior to my service at CSTI, I had extensive experience to industry as a management consultant on organization and functional matters. Also included in my experience was that acquired until retirement from the USAF as Lieutenant Colonel while attached to the United States Air Force Academy.
Arthur R. McFadden