There are conditions worth mentioning that gave rise to friction between Dr. Donato and the faculty. In the mid to late 70's New York paid up to 40% of the total cost of running a community college - likely about twice in real dollars what NYS presently is paying. A significant decrease in state funding began in 1992 when Gov. Pataki went to work in cutting our funding. Tech and business was also funded at a 20% premium, and the state was also generous in providing state aid for community ed., corporate training and attendance in learning centers.
There was also a deep divide among young and old faculty. In 1985 older faculty were all at the top of the pay scale, at roughly $40,500. I started out at $19,300, and would never reach $28,000, under the contract that was in place. Classmates from college had already exceeded what would be my top pay at the end of my career, and my classmates had a better benefit package- I had no dental, no vision, had pretty high copays and had to pay for vaccinations for my growing family. Our pension was pretty good but that did not pay the bills.
As time went on, the top of the pay scale was moving away from us younger faculty, and those at the top were quite happy to take the lion's share of money appropriated for faculty pay. Sometime in the mid 70's a contract had been imposed on the faculty by the county. A merit system was promised by the county, whereby new faculty could reach the top. That promise was never kept.
Things were so contentious that at one faculty meeting Bob Olans from History explained that faculty at the top needed bigger raises than those at the bottom because he shopped at Jenss, while us folks at the bottom shopped at K-Mart.
Mike Laymen, after almost having a stroke, stood up and threatened to take over the union with younger faculty, and would propose to the county that everyone gets paid the same amount. Mike had the backing to do so, and would have done this if things continued as they were for much longer.
I don't remember much about Dr. Donato, being that I was spending most of my time figuring out how to teach, but one thing I do remember was his obsession of cheaply running NCCC. At all-college meetings Dr. Donato always mentioned that we were the second cheapest CC in the state, on a per student basis. I think he wanted to be the cheapest. Maybe that was his obsession. I have no idea what he would have done with all the extra money, but he was paying his wife generously for driving senior citizens around town - well over 50% more than I was making, by the way.
Things became more contentious when we went 10 months without a contract - a contract at the time that was negotiated directly with the county - and Donato stuck his nose in and stalled negotiations. Dr. Donato took his case to the public, and went on radio (WLVL?) and called the faculty a "bunch of greedy bastards." My wife, who was teaching 2nd grade at St. Matthew Lutheran School in NT, was on track to make more than me very soon, if Donato and the county had their way. Donato must have curried the favor of the county because during his stay, the county was able to dip way below their 1/3 share of funding that was supposed to be in place. That was a bad habit for the county - a habit from which the county never recovered.
Dr. Donato should have offered us a contract roll over for six years, simply because older faculty were being replaced with cheaper young faculty as they retired. I assume he wanted to stall negotiations indefinitely, not replace retirees, etc., which would be the cheapest of all. Dr. Donato's intention was that my meager salary be frozen, and that it go backwards in purchasing power. One suggestion by Donato was that the starting salary be frozen, which would allow us new faculty to move away from the bottom!
By 1989 I decided that there was no future for me in teaching, at least at NCCC. After having my 2nd child my wife had stopped teaching and I was a hair above qualifying for food stamps. I sent out a few resumes, had a couple offers, and seriously considered leaving. I also talked to the computer science chair at U.B. about doing a Ph.D. I had their verbal blessing and would have easily been admitted. U.B. had a strong computer vision group that proved useful at Xerox and should have been useful at Kodak, had they not balked at cutting into their film business, giving Fuji an edge they could never overcome.
There is one more story worth telling, as it was told to me by the late Ken Raymond on two different occasions.
Ken mentioned that at Donato's first faculty meeting he told faculty he had an open door policy, and was eager to hear from faculty from around the college. So, Ken made an appointment for a meeting. When Ken walked into Dr. Donato's office, Donato locked the door behind him and sat down, and berated Ken. According to Ken, Donato said "What makes you think I give a shit about what you people think......."
Prior to leading NCCC, Donato had been president at Quinsigamond Community College. He was let go for striking a faculty member.
On a Monday morning I came to work, only to find out that Dr. Donato was hastily put on administrative leave. I won't comment on what malfeasance was involved. There was hope.
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