CHAPEL HILL – Long-stagnant pay for university teachers and researchers will be at the top of the agenda when the University of North Carolina Board of Governors convenes Dec. 11.
During a special meeting of the board last week, members spoke of their growing worry about the impact of lackluster pay and benefits for faculty at the state’s public campuses. Lawmakers have approved just one 1.2% raise since 2008, even as the cost of living has grown.
“This Board recognizes how important the faculty is to our system. Without the faculty, we don’t have a system,” said Lou Bissette, the board’s Vice Chair. “We’re going to be doing everything we can to be certain that our faculty is compensated at a fair rate.”
Steven Long, head of the Board’s Personnel and Tenure Committee, promised a close look at what campuses are doing to retain their best teachers and researchers.
“I just wanted to let the Board members know that the Personnel and Tenure Committee has been taking efforts to provide competitive pay for faculty and staff,” Long said. “I know for the full Board that’s a major priority and a focus, because the faculty and staff are definitely at the core of our University mission. And we are working to ensure that the University provides them with competitive salary and benefits.”
Long noted that campuses made small-scale, targeted raises for about one-third of faculty using non-state dollars from fiscal years 2010-15. That means sacrificing other campus needs to free funds for limited raises, usually to keep sought-after faculty from leaving.
“The committee has been consistent in supporting targeted increases for faculty as proposed by chancellors,” Long said.
But those limited campus funds are a far cry from the state support required to give meaningful raises to all faculty. Without backing from state legislators, BOG members and campus leaders will face a tough battle to keep the men and women who are shaping the next generation in North Carolina.
As outgoing UNC President Tom Ross said last month, faculty pay remains a “glaring weakness” for North Carolina.
“We’ve got a problem there we have to address if we’re going to remain a great public university,” he warned.
Paula Poe says
This is great news for faculty. What about STAFF at the university? Are they getting left out of this totally, again? Why is it that faculty are the only ones considered valuable assets to the university, and the staff are always overlooked? Giving the state workers a $750 raise this year was a real embarrassment and an insult.
The dedicated staff of this university deserve recognition and compensation. UNC staff work very hard and get less time off, less fringe benefits, less recognition than faculty, and are the ones who actually do all the work to make this university run smooth s glass. We keep everything up to date, are here to open up and dot every I and cross every T for our departments, and get zero recognition for our commitment and dedication. STAFF DESERVE A PAY RAISE!
G. Nelson says
EPA (now EHRA) positions get raises every year. It’s the SPA (now SHRA) positions that do not get raises. The only way an SPA employee can get a raise is to apply to another position that pays a higher salary or they can request that their position get reclassified (this almost never gets approved by HR)
Elizabeth McPherson says
Salary adjustments for faculty and staff are sadly needed to assure that we keep our outstanding people in all of our public Higher Education Centers.
Matthew Clark says
Will the BOG talk about the incredibly low salaries that most faculty receive? Or will they only talk about the salaries of tenure-line faculty?
North Carolina needs to know that the lowest paid full-time and part-time educators in our state aren’t in K-12 public schools. They’re in our universities and community colleges. Non-tenure line teaching faculty are being exploited in large numbers. They comprise the majority of faculty in the UNC system, but I don’t see policymakers, decision makers, or advocates talking about them. I just don’t see it. Why not?
Lisa J. says
I clearly understand how important the faculty is to our system and as you stated, “without faculty, we don’t have a system”. There has been much discussion surrounding this issue of pay raises for them and they seemingly have a voice that is being heard. However, at the other end of the spectrum is another class of SHRA staff who seemed to be overlooked when it comes to salary increases/raises. I would also add, that without the Teachers, Researchers and Staff, we don’t have a building block, or a support system to perform some of the most important cruicial duties and tasks that keep many departments functioning. Faculty and EHRA employees receive pay raises, retention increases, etc. etc. but SHRA employees have long been overlooked. While the cost of living has increased over the years, salaries for SHRA employees have remained the same. This has had a very negative effect on workers and has affected workplace morale. Is there one class of employees that is more important or valuable than another? We are sending the wrong message to workers when we reward one group, but not the other. The bonus that employees will receive in December is wonderful, but that is a one time thing. The bonus leave days, which many employees could have used this year, were voted down. So we give something but we take something away. My fear is that if this is a matter that isn’t addressed, and if this class of employees continue to be overlooked, it will have an adverse effect on the workplace and employees will begin pursuing other avenues and leaving their jobs for better opportunities elsewhere. At the end of the day, it costs more money to turnover employees then hire, train and re-train new workers. If we consider our employees a valuable asset, my hope is that a plan of action will be taken and new strategies implemented for way to compensate and raise salaries for SHRA employees.