April 30, 2010 – No Refuge: The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2009-10 was released by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) on April 12. This year’s report discusses faculty salaries in the context of the financial times and suggests that faculty salaries are concrete indicators of institutional priorities. According to AAUP, mandatory furloughs, hiring and salary freezes, and reductions in retirement-fund contributions are all symptoms of a continuing disinvestment in the faculty.
Key findings highlighted in the AAUP press release include:
- About one third of responding institutions reported that overall average salary levels decreased this year.
- Two-thirds of continuing faculty members are employed at institutions where the average change in salary was below the rate of inflation, meaning that the earning power of most full-time faculty members is less than it was one year ago.
- About fourteen percent of reporting institutions have reduced contributions to faculty retirement programs, and a few eliminated retirement contributions entirely. These changes provide limited savings for the institutions, but can create long-term problems for affected faculty members.
- Although many colleges and universities are facing reduced revenues, circumstances vary widely. Decisions on how to deal with financial difficulties require examination of the details of state appropriations; the interplay of tuition prices, enrollment, and financial aid; donations to the institution; and returns on endowment fund investments. Faculty members are uniquely positioned to devise solutions that will limit the damage to higher education’s core mission: educating students and advancing knowledge for the benefit of all.
Additional information on the report is available
here.
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