Lack of resources stall staff raises

Sister Margaret Carney, O.S.F, university president, wrote in a letter to faculty and staff Dec. 8, 2006 that compensation increases for the 2006-07 fiscal year will not be offered.

"The reaction to the letter was that it seemed to hop over another reason," faculty senator Carole McNall said. "The letter could have been: Here's the problem and we can deal with that. We're all grown-ups. We can deal with the problem."

McNall, assistant professor of journalism and mass communication, said the faculty senate is unable to set policies concerning the salaries of university faculty and staff members.

The faculty senate compensation committee discusses salaries and benefits issues with university administration. The faculty senate does not have legislative power to control salaries.

"The administration said salary raises and increases are a priority in the next budget," Jeff Peterson, faculty senate finance committee chair, said.

Carney's letter informed faculty and staff that in the late spring or early summer of the 2007-08 fiscal year, faculty compensation increases will be announced.

Peterson would not disclose the average salary for a university professor.

"A salary is a personal issue. A faculty's rank, such as a lecturer or professor, the discipline they teach in and how long they have been here affect salaries," Peterson said.

"We're not as high as some, but our retirement contributions are better than others," Peterson said.

The university's retirement contribution is 10 percent of a faculty member's salary. The percentage is calculated after the faculty has had two years experience at the university and is the same regardless of faculty member's rank or discipline.

Brenda Snow, vice president for business and finance, said she did not have specific information regarding the average salary a university professor is paid.

"We would love for our faculty to be in the upper echelon of faculty compensation," Snow wrote in an e-mail. "But there's just no way to ignore the resources needed to make that happen. We're doing everything we can to assure our financial health as an institution and to make pay increases a priority."

Carney explained in her letter to faculty and staff why the university is not offering compensation increases.

"As you know, we continue to take numerous steps to ensure the future vibrancy of the University," Carney wrote.

Reasons for the university's cancellation of 2006-07 compensation increases are the improvement of university marketing, student recruiting, physical facilities and the growth of the First Year Experience program and the Franciscan Health Care program.

According to Peterson, the university's compensation policy pays faculty members an amount falling within the 20 to 80 percentile of salaries from comparable universities and colleges paid to faculty members in their discipline. Faculty compensation is also based on a faculty member's merit, and external market changes for staff members in their rank and discipline Peterson said.

"The theory behind the faculty compensation program is to pay faculty members similar to what others are being paid in the same field," Peterson said.

The College and University Professional Association for Human Resources provide survey data to the university to compare salaries from similar institutions.

"Our challenge and other university's' challenge is to keep up with the market. Everybody's in the same boat and dealing with it," Peterson said.

Alfred University, Canisius College and Niagara University were contacted to compare faculty salaries. Canisius College and Niagara University did not return phone calls and e-mails by deadline Thursday evening.

"The discipline they teach would be a factor, and that ties into the demand for the position," Mary Kelly, Alfred University assistant director of human resources, said. "A faculty's salary is going to increase, but we don't work on a merit system. Faculty would just get across the board increases with the university."

"Sister Margaret is well aware of the concerns of faculty, but when resources are not available it's difficult to satisfy everyone's needs," Casey said.

Some faculty expressed understanding of the decision.

"We're an admission driven university," Lauren De La Vars, English department chair, said. "I'll be happy to see the money when it comes."

Other faculty members voiced dissent to the university's decision.

"I consider the recently-announced decision to terminate the policy of mid-year faculty salary increases to be illegitimate," George Lapennas, associate professor of biology wrote in an e-mail. "I consider that Carney and/or the Board of Trustees ought to rescind their decision immediately.