[CAUT] college salaries

[Jeff Tanner]

Hi Steve,

On Thursday, November 4, 2004, at 01:33 PM, Steve Carver wrote:

> Wim, while this suggestion may seem unrealistic, it does frequently get
> administrators attention. This approach is used by faculty as well and 
> can
> produce results. Apply for another university position and with luck 
> if an
> offer is forthcoming, you will have in hand an excellent bargaining 
> tool.

There are significantly fewer piano technician openings than music 
faculty openings.  Makes this approach rather difficult.  Two positions 
are currently open, and neither have a particularly attractive 
compensation package.

>
> Over the last 6-8 years I have been keenly aware of a number of 
> searches
> for piano technicians, either personally or friends-associates of 
> mine. In
> almost every single case, whether it was an assistant level position 
> or a
> senior position, VERY FEW qualified technicians applied, underscoring 
> the
> lack of skilled technicians. Some of these positions were at highly 
> rated
> institutions; others at the more common state universities-smaller
> institutions.

Most of the positions we've seen advertised during that time frame had 
poor (average and below) salary situations.  Thus, the lack of 
qualified techs applying.    If there have been good salaried positions 
open they haven't been advertised - again, thus the low number of techs 
applying.

>
> This is in part why I wrote the college article that appeared in the 
> August
> 04 issue of the journal, which stressed the many positive aspects of
> working in institutions of higher ed.

I found your article very interesting.  I agree wholeheartedly with all 
your positives, but was quite surprised with your assertion that a lot 
of these positions have high paying salaries.  Where are they?  And you 
wrote of "moonlighting" as if it were an option for a staff piano 
technician.  It is more an integrated component of the compensation 
packages for all the positions of which I am aware.

>
> College administrators are aware of the shortage of techs. Once you 
> are a
> sought after item, you worth to the department has been greatly 
> enhanced.

Yes, maybe.  But my research indicates that administrators and human 
resources departments are somehow under the impression that seasoned 
qualified piano technicians are quite happy working for half of what 
they could be, or had been making elsewhere in the same amount of time.

I am particularly interested in chatting with you about your article 
(you would know I can't find that issue right now).  You wrote with 
some knowledge of a better world than most of us experience.

Regards,
Jeff


Jeff Tanner, RPT
School Of Music
University of South Carolina