Faculty Council discusses solutions to low faculty salaries

One solution to raising salaries would involve increasing tuition.

By Travis Cornejo

Published Oct. 3, 2009, last updated 6:32 p.m., Nov. 13, 2010

Betsy Rodriguez, UM system vice president of human resources, discussed possible ideas to increase MU's relatively low faculty salaries, including raising tuition, at a Faculty Council meeting Friday.

MU's faculty salaries ranked second to last out of 34 universities in a study conducted by the American Association of University Professors in spring 2009. Rodriguez said the UM system can no longer afford to not do anything about faculty salary structure.

"What we've been doing all along won't work," Rodriguez said. "It's going to take some very hard decisions."

Rodriguez presented an example solution of raising tuition by 8 percent to allow faculty salary levels to be raised by 4 percent. But several faculty members, including Deputy Provost Ken Dean, voiced objection to the idea of raising tuition, which he said could result in a drop in enrollment.

"The worst thing that could happen to us is a downward spiral in enrollment," Dean said.

After discussing faculty salaries and possible solutions, Rodriguez moved on to the topic of faculty benefits. The UM system's policy that mandates part of a faculty member's salary contributes to a retirement plan was put in place during the spring semester and has since remained at the forefront of Faculty Council discussions on employee benefits.

Rodriguez's presentation stated the university's benefit plans as a whole are comparable to those of other public institutions like the UM system.

"UM offers a competitive array of benefit programs that are currently slightly below the average of its peer group," Rodriguez's presentation stated.

She said a thorough survey on employees' values is underway, and she would like to hear concerns from faculty members.

Rodriguez said the UM system now has a huge structural problem with its salaries because salary is often not seen as an important mandate in budget issues. Doing nothing could be quite costly, she said.

Increases in some faculty members' salaries might save the university money, Rodriguez said while recounting a story of an MU employee who made $10.50 an hour after an 11 percent raise.

If the employee were to leave, her replacement would be paid more, Rodriguez said. Her department would not be able to hire someone at the salary it pays her.

One question from a faculty member in attendance regarded furloughs, an unpaid temporary leave of absence.

"I hate the F word," Rodriguez said about furloughs. "That would be very low on the list of options.

The UM system Board of Curators voted earlier this year to give UM system President Gary Forsee the authority to furlough employees when necessary.

At the curators meeting in February, Rodriguez said furloughs give the university the ability to reduce salary costs on a one-time basis and are especially useful in the event of an emergency.

More than 30 people attended the meeting, but only one department chairperson was in the audience. Faculty Council Chairwoman Leona Rubin said she wants faculty members to be more aware of the situation with salaries and benefits.

"I would have liked to see more faculty here," Rubin said. "I think it's important to get this message out. They need to be involved."