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.”
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