2008 Woodie Awards
Cost of Living Rises, Will Faculty Salaries?
Bryanna Lindblom: Muleskinner
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: News
Many times, decisions are made behind the scenes which indirectly affect UCM students. University students have the Student Government Association (SGA) to represent them in times of need. Since UCM faculty have issues that arise as well, they have the Faculty Senate.
Jack Rogers, Faculty Senate president, said the senate is made up of faculty members elected by each college.
"We bring issues that are in the concern of the faculty," Rogers said.
Just as much as young scholars are concerned with whether or not their job pay will keep up with the cost of living, so is the UCM faculty.
This is why the Faculty Senate will be voting on a motion that puts the consumer price index (CPI) into consideration for a faculty salary increase.
The motion was made by John Sutton, member of the Faculty Senate Salary and Fringe Benefits Committee, read as: "If, in the current fiscal year, the funds available for salary increases, excluding those allocated for promotion adjustments, fall below the U.S. rate of inflation as measured by the index, all funds should be allocated to across-the-board raises."
Sutton said the floor of the increase in faculty salary would be equal to the Consumer Price Index.
"We want to figure out what the rate of inflation is and come up with an across the board way to support that," Sutton said. "We don't want to go backwards, we want to stay equal with the rate of inflation."
Sutton said the motion passed unanimously by the Salary and Fringe Benefits Committee for recommendation to the Faculty Senate. He also said that the passing of the motion may result in a more satisfied faculty.
Dianne Gower, Faculty Senate secretary, said students would not be directly affected.
"It would not be increasing tuition," Gower said.
However, Rogers said, a faculty raise would have more than an indirect effect.
"Our commitment as a faculty is your education," Rogers said. "With salaries going down and the cost of living going up, it gets harder to hire bright, new, young faculty."
Rogers said that as salaries dip lower and lower, it makes it more difficult to replace those who retire.
Gaining ground on establishing a more equal salary with the index may ease this trouble and give students a fair chance at gaining the best possible education at UCM.
"We owe you the best education we can offer you and we don't want that to be eroded," Rogers said.
Jack Rogers, Faculty Senate president, said the senate is made up of faculty members elected by each college.
"We bring issues that are in the concern of the faculty," Rogers said.
Just as much as young scholars are concerned with whether or not their job pay will keep up with the cost of living, so is the UCM faculty.
This is why the Faculty Senate will be voting on a motion that puts the consumer price index (CPI) into consideration for a faculty salary increase.
The motion was made by John Sutton, member of the Faculty Senate Salary and Fringe Benefits Committee, read as: "If, in the current fiscal year, the funds available for salary increases, excluding those allocated for promotion adjustments, fall below the U.S. rate of inflation as measured by the index, all funds should be allocated to across-the-board raises."
Sutton said the floor of the increase in faculty salary would be equal to the Consumer Price Index.
"We want to figure out what the rate of inflation is and come up with an across the board way to support that," Sutton said. "We don't want to go backwards, we want to stay equal with the rate of inflation."
Sutton said the motion passed unanimously by the Salary and Fringe Benefits Committee for recommendation to the Faculty Senate. He also said that the passing of the motion may result in a more satisfied faculty.
Dianne Gower, Faculty Senate secretary, said students would not be directly affected.
"It would not be increasing tuition," Gower said.
However, Rogers said, a faculty raise would have more than an indirect effect.
"Our commitment as a faculty is your education," Rogers said. "With salaries going down and the cost of living going up, it gets harder to hire bright, new, young faculty."
Rogers said that as salaries dip lower and lower, it makes it more difficult to replace those who retire.
Gaining ground on establishing a more equal salary with the index may ease this trouble and give students a fair chance at gaining the best possible education at UCM.
"We owe you the best education we can offer you and we don't want that to be eroded," Rogers said.
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