Editor,
At the risk of being obvious and bringing the house down on my head, I believe that before bonuses the size of staff salaries around here - or more - are given to UNM administrators, it behooves UNM to understand that hard work and excellence are not only found within the upper administration.
For example, the end of the fiscal year has taken a serious toll on the accounting staff. Those bonuses could go to getting an extra accountant here and there so that these offices feel less like sweat shops, and the men and women who keep this University running financially feel that they can make a real difference.
I know personally that many people in upper administration work hard, but you can bring in a lot more grant money if the infrastructure is working and happy. It is demoralizing for any of us who work, get awards from places outside UNM, and make sacrifices to ensure that jobs get done - from cleaning buildings to cooking, accounting, teaching, or to doing research - to realize that the rest of us seem to be invisible when it comes to rewarding or acknowledging excellence.
I remain optimistic that this situation can change, but it will take someone with real vision and a big heart to figure out how to do it.
Maggie Werner-Washburne
UNM faculty
