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U of M to Raise Minimum Wage to $13 an Hour, Campus Workers Say It’s Not Enough

CREDIT: Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Students demand living wage for all campus workers at a fall protest.

University of Memphis president M. David Rudd announced Monday that the university has a plan to increase the minimum wage for campus employees to $13.

In an email sent to the university’s staff and faculty, Rudd laid out a two-part plan to increase the minimum wage of all regular hourly employees to $13 an hour by July.

“Since I started my tenure as present, our leadership team has made a firm commitment to raise the wages of our lowest-paid employees,” Rudd said in the email. “As I have mentioned on many occasions, we are doing so in a financially responsible and sustainable manner. We have an equally firm commitment to also keep the cost of education low for our students.”

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In 2018, the university increased minimum wage from $10.10 to $10.60 an hour, and then in 2019, those wages were increased again to $11.11.

Now, the plan is to increase the minimum wage to $12 in April and then to $13 by July 2020.

Rudd first promised a plan to raise the minimum wage of campus employees in July after Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris vetoed a Shelby County Commission decision to allocate $1 million for the U of M’s Michael Rose Natatorium because of the school’s failure to pay living wages to some employees.

The commission voted to override the veto, but the public debate prompted Rudd to publicly declare his commitment to a definitive plan to raise the campus minimum wage to $15 over the next two years.

Monday’s announcement is the first step the campus has seen toward that plan.

The Tennessee State Employees Association (TSEA) applauded Rudd’s Monday announcement: “TSEA appreciates President Rudd for keeping his commitment to increasing wages of University of Memphis’ Higher Education state employees.”

But members of the United Campus Workers (UCW) were surprised by Rudd’s announcement, said Jayanni Webster, West Tennessee organizer for UCW.

Webster said she spent the morning discussing Rudd’s plan with UCW members who have been pushing for $15 an hour since 2014.

These workers maintain that $13 isn’t sufficient and that their goal remains $15 an hour, she said. “We are not done with this issue, not one bit,” said Doris Brooks-Conley, a U of M custodial worker of 19 years said.

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Another campus custodian, Sharon Gale, who has worked at the U of M for five years, said she and co-workers have been asking for better pay “for a long time. It’s been really hard for me trying to keep up with bills and expenses. At the end of the day, we need the $15. Hopefully Dr. Rudd keeps his promise and we see it by the end of the year.”

UCW members are also concerned about whether or not these raises will affect employees receiving merit or cost-of-living raises this year.

Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer, the lone commissioner who voted to uphold Harris’ veto this summer, said the wage increase announced Monday is the “first step toward $15, which we hope to see not too far from this increase.” Sawyer adds that she is proud to have stood with Mayor Harris on this issue and that she will “continue to advocate until poverty wages are eliminated.”


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Groups Call for a Living Wage for All U of M Workers

CREDIT: Maya Smith

Maya Smith

Students demand living wage for all campus workers

Students protested at the University of Memphis Friday, asking for a living wage for all campus workers and an overall more equitable campus.

The Memphis Young Democratic Socialists (901YDS), comprised of U of M students, staff, and alumni, helped organize Friday’s event.

The protest comes a day after U of M president M. David Rudd announced he would not be accepting a near $100,000 salary increase. Rudd currently earns a base salary of $394,075, according to the university.

Rudd

Rudd was expected to sign a new contract to receive $525,000 annually beginning October 1st, but said Thursday that he believes “it is in the best interest of the institution to forgo any salary increases at this time.”

“Overall institutional efficiency has been at the forefront of my agenda from the day I started, a value I firmly believe and will continue to live,” Rudd wrote.

Tre Black, co-chairman of the 901YDS, said although he is “overjoyed” with the president’s decision, “there is still much work to be done.” He noted that Rudd didn’t mention if he would still accept the near $2 million in bonuses and benefits offered by the university’s board of trustees.

At the protest, students honed in on the issue of every campus employee making a living wage of $15 dollars an hour. Rudd assured the campus in July that a plan to raise all employees’ pay to $15 an hour over the next two years was in the works, but the details of that plan were never shared.

Rudd’s promise of paying a living wage to campus workers came after Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris moved to veto $1 million in county funding going toward the university’s new natatorium until a plan to pay all university employees was presented.

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“We have a definitive plan,” Rudd said at the time. “We’ll be at $15/hour in two years. And in a sustainable manner.”

Black said that 901YDS wants all campus workers to earn a living wage, including those hired under a work-study contract, those earning a stipend, part-time and full time employees, graduate workers, and adjunct professors.

The protesters also want Rudd to participate in a public forum with 901YDS and United Campus Workers, another organizer of Friday’s action, to address these and other issues relating to “inequality and unfair treatment of a large section of students and workers.”

As an example, Black cites graduate workers not receiving health care or a living wage, yet working more than 40 hours most weeks.

According to United Campus Workers, about 330 employees on campus are paid less than $15 an hour.

Maya Smith

Students demand living wage for all campus workers

The group has a petition on the Action Network website. In addition to asking Rudd to forgo additional bonuses, the petition asks that Rudd reveal the university’s plan to raise campus workers’ hourly wage to $15 an hour.

The petition also notes that the groups oppose any increases in tuition and fees: “We call upon the president and the board of trustees to freeze tuition and all administrative fees, not to be increased without approval of the students.”

See the full petition here.

The university did not immediately respond to the Flyer‘s request for comment. 

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‘State-of-the-Art’ Tennis Facility in the Works for Memphis

A new “world-class tennis facility” is coming to Memphis, the city, along with the University of Memphis and local organization Tennis Memphis announced Monday.

The three entities are partnering to renovate Leftwich Tennis near Audubon Park into what officials call a “state-of-the-art facility.” The $19 million project will “dramatically improve” the facility with the construction of 32 new courts. Twenty of those will be outdoors, and 12 will be indoors. The center currently has 12 courts in total.

Upon completion, the renovated Leftwich Tennis Center will remain a public facility open to the community for competitive and recreational play, as well as tennis lessons and clinics. It will also be the new home courts for the men’s and women’s Tiger tennis teams.


Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland was at Leftwich Monday for the announcement. He said the new facility will be a “true gem” for the community.

“I can’t say enough about how excited I am for this project to begin,” Strickland said. “And I’m not the only one. The philanthropic support shown for this has been exceptional. Not only will this be a tremendous asset for the University, but it will be a true gem for our community and all tennis lovers.”

Officials said the majority of funding for the project was raised privately, while $3 million is coming from the city and $5 million from the university.

U of M president M. David Rudd said the tennis center will be “one of the finest in the country, one that all Memphians will be proud of.”

Paul Goebel, coach of the U of M men’s tennis team said the new facility will be fit to host major events, such as national tennis tournaments and NCAA and conference championships. Goebel anticipates that will “attract thousands of out-of-town visitors each year.”

The new facility is slated to be completed by January 2021.


‘State-of-the-Art’ Tennis Facility in the Works for Memphis

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U of M President Says School Will Pay $15 Per Hour in Two Years

A week after the most recent conversation about living wages at the University of Memphis heated up, U of M president David Rudd sent a letter to faculty saying that his commitment to providing all employees with a living wage “remains firm.”

Last week Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris vetoed a Shelby County Commission decision to allocate $1 million for the U of M’s Michael Rose Natatorium because of the school’s failure to pay living wages to some employees.

Harris said then that he won’t support the funding until the university presents a plan to pay livable wages to all employees.

Rudd said that the mayor’s proposal raised “serious ethical concerns” and that the university will forgo the county’s funding offer for the project. Rudd also said last week that the university is in the process of implementing a plan to raise hourly wages to $15 an hour over the next two years.

“We have a definitive plan,” Rudd said. “We’ll be at $15/hour in two years. And in a sustainable manner.”

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In a Monday letter to the university’s faculty and staff, Rudd said over the past four years the university has implemented three “historic increases in our minimum wage from $9.20 to $10.10, $10.60 two years ago, and $11.11 this fiscal year.”

A living wage extends beyond hourly pay and also should account for employee benefits packages, Rudd said. When the new minimum wage of $11.11 goes into place this year, Rudd said, with benefits factored in, wages equal about $16.80 an hour.

University of Memphis President David M. Rudd

The university’s approach to increasing minimum wage is “thoughtful and methodical,” Rudd wrote, touting some of the school’s financial accomplishments, such as implementing four consecutive years of pay increases and keeping tuition the lowest of the state’s public institutions over the past five years.

“Over the past few years, I have repeatedly expressed my support for a living wage,” Rudd wrote. “We’re the only public university in the state with three significant increases in our hourly wage over the past four years. As I’ve also said before, we’re committed to doing it because it’s the right thing.”

Rudd said he believes the university will be able to pay a livable wage to all employees in two years, but in a “manner that is financially responsible and sustainable.”

He did not mention the amount of the proposed livable wage.

“We’ve made significant progress the past two years and I believe we can achieve our goal in two years,” Rudd said. “I will not, however, sacrifice financial discipline and the success of our university for political expediency.”

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What are other universities here paying?

As of July 1st, the lowest-paid employees at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center will earn $15 an hour, according to the university. This is the highest in the area. 

Southwest Tennessee Community College established a living wage plan in 2017 and raised every employee’s pay to at least $10.76 an hour. Since then, the minimum wage has increased to $12.24 an hour. The college said 31 employees currently earn this amount.

Christian Brothers University officials did not disclose its minimum hourly wage, but said the university is committed to a “just and living wage for employees” and that income equality is one of university president John Shannon’s top priorities during his first 100 days in his new role as president.


At Rhodes College, the minimum hourly wage is $12 an hour, but president of the college, Marjorie Hass, said last week in a letter to faculty and staff that the college is in the second year of a multi-year plan to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

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U of M President: Harris’ Request to Hold Funds Raises Ethical Concerns

After the Shelby County Board of Commissioners approved a $1 million allocation for swimming pool renovations at the University of Memphis, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris vetoed the commission’s decision, citing the university’s failure to pay a living wage of $15 an hour for some of its employees.

In a letter to the commission dated July 7th, Harris said he won’t support funding the Michael Rose Natatorium project until the university devises a plan to increase the employees’ pay to a living wage.

Harris said groups such as the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and the Memphis Interfaith Coalition for Action and Hope, along with several unions who have been pushing for a wage increases at the university, have contacted him, speaking against the $1 million allocation.

“They believe that, prior to any distribution, the University of Memphis should first present a timeline or plan to bring its lowest-paid workers up to a living wage,” Harris wrote. “They believe Shelby County government should delay this allocation until the issue of low pay for these workers is resolved. I am grateful to these groups because they have brought to light an important issue.”

Harris said that more than 330 employees at the U of M are making $11.11 per hour, “far below a living wage for individuals with children” and “far below the $15 per hour that Shelby County government has repeatedly recommended for public institutions.”

Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris

The mayor said the employees can’t sustain themselves with an $11.11 per hour wage and that the issues of poverty that continue to persist in the community are “interconnected to decisions like these.” Harris said many of the employees not making a livable wage at the university are African American with children and families to support.

“That is to say, for years they have not earned a living wage,” Harris said. “For years they have been working and still living in poverty. These employees include custodians and the very people who will likely have to clean the facility and swimming pool in question, once it is built.”

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Harris said until the university presents a timeline on increasing wages, he “cannot endorse this budget allocation.”

“I realize that my stance here may create some consternation, which is not my intent,” Harris said. “I take this stance after deliberation, and I am trying as best I can to follow my conscience.”

University of Memphis president M. David Rudd responded to Harris on Monday, writing in a letter that the mayor’s letter raises “serious ethical concerns” and that the university will forgo the county’s funding offer for the project.

“Given the request to directly influence university policy in exchange for the funding, I will have to decline the support,” Rudd wrote.

Rudd said Harris’ request could be a “potential serious ethical breach” of the university and a potential violation of a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges accreditation standard, which states that “the governing board is free from undue influence from political, religious, or other external bodies and protects the institution from such influence.”

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Therefore Rudd said he will decline the county’s support for the natatorium, as the accreditation standards are “very clear.”

“I report to the Board of Trustees, not the county mayor,” Rudd said. “Our Trustees possess the authority to oversee and approve policy changes at the university level.”

University of Memphis President David M. Rudd

Rudd added that the university is in the process of implementing a plan to raise hourly wages to $15 an hour over the next several years.

“We’re doing so because we believe our employees deserve it, because it’s the right thing to do,” Rudd said. “Our employees are the foundation of our institution and the reason we’re succeeding. We’re not doing it because you’ve vetoed $1 million in support for the Michael Rose Natatorium.”

Rudd said the university will raise the hourly wages in a way that “doesn’t threaten the financial stability that we’ve worked so hard to attain, or result in dramatic tuition increases that threaten the success of our students and economic growth of the Memphis region.”

Harris did not immediately respond to the Flyer‘s request for comment.

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U of M to Revamp Dining With Local Food Options

CREDIT: Twitter- M. David Rudd

Twitter- M. David Rudd

Rendering of the new Tiger Den dining hall


The University of Memphis will offer new and non-traditional dining options — including more local food — on campus beginning in the fall.

The university parted ways with the food service company Aramark last month after a 30-year partnership and entered into a new 15-year contract with New York-based Chartwells Higher Ed.

The new partnership will have “profound impact on your dining options and experience on campus,” U of M president M. David Rudd said in a letter to the campus announcing the move last month.

Through the partnership with Chartwells, local food trucks, where students can use Dining Dollars, will be added to the on-campus dining options.

Also, the main dining hall, Tiger Den, will get a total makeover, the campus Chick-fil-A will be expanded to include a full service menu, and a new barbecue restaurant will open this summer.

So far, Rudd has confirmed that Gibson’s Donuts will be one of the new local options on campus in the fall.

The move will increase the university’s investment in the community, Rudd said, by “directing expenditures toward locally-owned businesses and diverse suppliers in the Memphis community.”

Twitter- M. David Rudd

Examples of outdoor pop-up food stations coming to the U of M in the fall

Other changes prompted by the new partnership include technology investments to include point-of-scale system updates, a new mobile app, ordering kiosks, and outdoor pop-up food stations.

Chartwells also provides dietitians to guide menus and encourage healthy eating habits on campus.

“We will see some exciting changes in on-campus dining — changes that recognize that dining service is a critical part of the broader community experience,” Rudd said.

U of M to Revamp Dining With Local Food Options

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U of M Lowers Out-of-State Tuition


Out-of-state students attending the University of Memphis will see a significant cut in tuition next semester after a new rate structure was approved by the university’s board in September.

The new four-tier system sets tuition rates for Tennessee residents, out-of-state residents, international students, and U of M Global or online students. Last school year, full-time out-of-state students had to pay a little over $21,000 in tuition and fees a year. Now, they’ll save about $10,000 on average a year.

Out-of-state students will pay an additional $160 per credit hour over what in-state residents pay, while international students will pay an extra $320 per hour. Online students and Tennessee residents, including those from five bordering counties (DeSoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica in Mississippi and Crittenden in Arkansas) won’t see a change next semester under the new structure.

U of M President M. David Rudd said money is often the barrier that keeps students from pursuing a higher education.

“The number one barrier to receiving a college education is cost,” said Rudd. “This initiative is an effort to make tuition more affordable and to grow the University’s regional, national and international appeal.”

Rudd also said that the new tuition structure will allow the university’s admissions process to be more selective.

Karen Weddle-West, U of M Provost, said the new tuition structure is in step with the university’s commitment to providing affordable education.

“The mission, vision and core values of the University of Memphis focus on delivering high-quality, affordable, academic programs of excellence through various modes to the best and brightest students across the globe,” Weddle-West said. “The four-tier tuition structure, following the announcement of the zero tuition increase in 2018, is another exemplar of the University’s continuing commitment to facilitate accessibility to higher education to produce graduates who are innovative, entrepreneurial and well-prepared to meet workforce needs, and serves as a testament to the visionary leadership of President M. David Rudd.”

Lowering the costs for students will help the U of M increase its student base, the university’s CFO Raaj Kurapati said.

“We recognized that we as a University needed to take the issue of cost head-on,” Kurapati said. “We believe that going forward the way to continue to keep costs down for all students is to build our overall student base.

“We do so by recruiting the best and brightest students from Tennessee and nationally, by offering high-quality programs at the lowest possible price point. Our new tuition structure aims to do just that while we continue to make strategic investments to build and sustain first-rate academic programs.”

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U of M to Get Explore Bike Share Next Fall

CREDIT: Facebook- Explore Bike Share

Facebook- Explore Bike Share

Explore Bike Share will expand to the University of Memphis by next fall, university officials announced Monday.

Thanks to a $580,000 grant through a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) fund, the campus and surrounding areas will receive 60 bikes.

U of M president M. David Rudd said bringing Bike Share to the campus will alleviate some of the parking issues on campus, while improving sustainability.

“The University of Memphis area has found its identity as a popular retail, food and residential district, while university enrollment has grown and retention rates are at an all-time high,”Rudd said. “We see tremendous value in Explore Bike Share, and believe it will be an innovative way to service our students’ needs and increase our sustainability by increasing mobility options, relieving the pressure of parking by reducing motor vehicle usage and getting our students engaged in the community.”

The CMAQ funds will also cover the cost of a number of EBS memberships for students. EBS will collaborate with students and campus officials to determine the best locations for bike stations at and around the U of M.

“Our mission at Explore Bike Share is to provide Memphians with affordable, accessible and easy transportation, and we start on the ground with community members and leaders,” Sara Studdard, EBS community engagement and marketing director, said. “Bike share would give students an easy, exciting way to engage in the college experience, but first we have to ask them a simple question — where do you want to go?”

With funds from a separate CMAQ grant, EBS plans to add an additional 300 bikes at 30 stations throughout the city next year.


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University of Memphis Raises Tuition

M. David Rudd

The University of Memphis announced today that tuition will be increasing once again. However, the hike is being downplayed due to the fact that this is the lowest increase in 18 years.

Undergraduate tuition will be increasing by 3.7 percent to a total of $7,320 per year plus mandatory fees of $1,583 for those from in-state who are taking a full academic course load.

Law students have the smallest tuition increase percentage-wise due to their already drastically more expensive fees. Their tuition is increasing by two percent, but students in the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law will now have to pay $16,312, in addition to $1,475 in fees.

Graduate students will see the largest increase, going up 3.9 percent or $18 per credit hour. This will come to $9,580 a year, plus $1,589 in fees.

With the approval today by the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR), it marks an increase in tuition for the Tigers that is less than half the average hike (8 percent) in the past 15 years.

“The Tennessee Board of Regents and the University of Memphis remain committed to providing a high-quality education at an affordable cost,” said University of Memphis President M. David Rudd. “We are able to minimize the increase because of continuing cost containment and efficiency measures.”

While the increase may be nothing to cause panic for most students, it does come after a year where the tuition remained the same. 

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U of M Selects Provost David Rudd As New President

CREDIT: University of Memphis

Dr. M. David Rudd

  • Dr. M. David Rudd

Beginning May 16th, the University of Memphis will be led by a new president.

After sifting through more than 70 applicants from across the nation, the Tennessee Board of Regents selected Dr. M. David Rudd as the U of M’s 12th president Thursday, May 1st. Rudd currently serves as the university’s provost, a position he’s held since March 2013.

The decision came relatively shy of a year since Brad Martin took on the role as interim president for the school in July 2013. The school’s past president was Shirley Raines. She served in the position for more than a decade and retired June 2013.

According to a U of M press release, Rudd holds administrative and teaching experience that spans nearly 30 years. Over that time, he held such titles as dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Utah; professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Texas Tech; professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at Baylor University; and professor and director of Baylor’s doctoral program in Clinical Psychology.

Rudd earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in psychology and holds a master’s degree in psychology from there as well. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University.

His wife, Dr. Loretta Rudd, also works at the U of M as an associate professor.