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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (July 20, 1982)
Faculty find other offers more tempting. . . As the University's fiscal problems mount, officials find they can offer valued faculty little more than appreciation to keep those professors on Oregon's green campus. Campuses such as Florida and Clemson have offered University professors the more attractive green of money. Faculty who have accepted offers from finan cially solvent universities know they can expect higher pay, smaller classes, better facilities and fewer threats of program cuts. "I’m off to greener pastures," says Stephen Hedetniemi, computer science department head. He and his wife Sandee, also a University computer science professor, have accepted computer science positions at South Carolina's Clemson University. The Hedetniemis will leave Eugene at the end of the summer. Hedetniemi says their salaries and fringe ben efits at Clemson will add up to about $13,000 more than their salaries at the University. But the switch to Clemson wasn’t due solely to higher pay. "Professionally speaking, the equipment is better, the salary is better and the course enroll ment is lower." "One common reason why four (computer science) faculty are leaving this year is the terrible student-to-faculty load,” Hedetniemi says. "The average class size here is about 95.” Hedetniemi describes the headaches of one computer science professoi who is also leaving the University. That professor taught a graduate course to 40 students in one class, Hedetniemi says Because of the unusually large class, the depth of the subject material and the consequential demand on the professor’s time, “he couldn't even give a homework assignment with one question on it," Hedetniemi laments. "So I think he changed the assignment." Sandee Hedetniemi taught a class that ran out of money needed for computer time after the first homework assignment, Hedetniemi says. She was forced to rearrange her assignments "She found that absolutely appalling," Hedet niemi exclaims Hedetniemi notes that enrollment limits and new equipment at the University will ease over crowding in computer classes during the coming school year "Computer science faculty are very mobile," Hedetniemi explains Professors in traditional disciplines might have trouble finding new posi tions at higher pay, but the demand for computer science professors is big in academe as well as in the private sector. University professors in one traditional disci pline, music, are finding higher-paying positions elsewhere with apparent ease Music school Dean, Morrette Rider, says three professors have accepted higher-paying posi tions at the University of Florida, the State College at Potsdam, N Y, and the University of Texas at San Antonio The departing professors will get significant increases over their present salaries. Rider says The professor leaving for Florida will get $15,000 more than his University salary, Rider adds "There's nothing we can do,” Rider says "We can't make a counter offer, so we just wish them well " The University can't do much about increasing faculty salaries and will likely postpone future increases, Provost Richard Hill says Hill admits the number of faculty leaving the music school is "surprising." But the increasing number of professors leaving the University is nothing new. That has been the case for the past two years, Hill says. "The biggest proportionate departure” during the 1981 school year was in the business school, Hill says. He adds that the school is faring better this year James Reinmuth, dean of the business school, agrees. No business faculty will leave the school this year, he says. "They like it here. We treat them welt,” Rein muth asserts Hill also notes, ‘‘We have a lot of faculty members, for whatever reasons, that have turned down offers to other institutions.” Biology department head Aaron Novick also notes the University's success in retaining faculty. "Quite a few of our faculty have been invited to accept jobs elsewhere,” but have chosen to remain at the University for various reasons, he says. Professors may choose to stay not only because of the University's excellent reputation, but because Eugene is "a great place to live", Novick says. "They’ve sunk roots Mre.” Derrick Bell, dean of th 3 law school, says he has lost a few faculty who were offered $10,000 to $15,000 over their University salaries, but adds "I think we've been very fortunate” in findi/ig new professors. He cites the law school's reputation, as well as the University's, as key factors in attracting new faculty One visiting law professor was advised by a senior professor at another university to "go to Oregon because good people come from there,” Bell says "I think we’ve been fortunate that the school has a strong sense of commitment among the faculty,” Bell says Hill concludes that the University's "ability to respond to outside offers (of higher pay) is pretty close to zero,” but that the strength and quality of University faculty is "still intact" when compared to other institutions "How long that will continue, I don't know,” Hill says Stories by Steve Hooks not to mention more profitable • • • Academically, the University dwells among the top 20 schools in the nation, University Pres Paul Olum has said on more than one occasion. But salary-wise,/the University is knocking on the cellar door. The Associatton of Oregon Facul ties reported in a survey of 76 major public universities that the Universi ty’s average 1980/81 faculty salary was $24,300: 52nd from the top Oregon State University ranked 64 th University department heads and deans admit frustration when their faculty members leave for higher salaries and other universities, but most have taken to making the best of a bad situation Law school dean Derrick Bell says his senior professors have foregone higher salaries so that assistant and associate professors could be hired at competitive salaries The average full-professor's salary at major law schools is about $65,000, Bell says. The average salary of a University law professor is "closer to $40,000," he says “Our salary structure is closer to that of the regional law schools” than the national schools, Bell says The University law school lost "a couple of faculty members" who were offered up to $15,000 more at other schools, Bell says. But he adds. "I don't think we re any worse off" concerning faculty turnover compared to other law schools with similar problems. Computer science department head Stephen Hedetniemi perused a survey of 1981 /82 faculty salaries that appeared in the June 2 Chroni cle of Higher Education The aver age computer science professor's salary was listed at $38,608 "Oh, God, these are way off,” Hedetniemi remarks The average salary of a University computer science professor is about $7,000 below the Chronicle's figure, he says The average salary of a University associate or assistant computer science professor is about $3,000 below the Chronicle’s figures, he adds. According to the Chronicle sur vey, the 1981/82 overall average salary of the 70 state universities and land-grant colleges surveyed was $28,120, compared with the University's $24,300. The Faculty Salary Committee of the AOF is working with the legisla ture and the state board of higher education towards higher University faculty salaries, says Jim Tattersall, economics department head. Tattersall says the University is “well below in average salaries,'’ about $3,000 by his figures, but "well above in average fringe ben efits.” China Blue Restaurant upstairs next to the U of O Bookstore Serving lunch from 11-4 • M-F 897 E. 13th Ave. 343-2832 SlfG We have fast service on cleaning and alterations We also do sleeping bags ON CAMPUS 821 East 13th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401 Tel (503) 345-6321 New^^ ^Ownership Special Perm *25°° Reg. '4000 Haircut torn Reg. *11" U Carol Hubbard New Owner 20 W. 25Ul 342-7661 C oapoa
