Survey indicates University salaries
are ranked among lowest in the nation
By Michael Hosmar
Of Ihe Emerald
It may rain a lot in Oregon, but that’s not the
reason many faculty members are leaving Oregon
universities — they’re leaving for better paying
jobs.
The State Board of Higher Education review
ed a survey in September that shows the Universi
ty ranked 75th out of 107 public doctorate
granting institutions, in terms of “average faculty
salaries," in the 1983-84 academic year. Oregon
State University was ranked 85th. The survey
projected the University will rank 93rd, and OSU
will rank 98th for the 1984-85 academic year.
The report also shows that of the major non
land-grant universities in each state, only two in
stitutions will rank lower in average salaries than
the University in the 1984-85 academic year. And
of the 55 state land-grant universities, only two
will rank below OSU.
To put it another way, the report shows that
the University and OSU now rank last in the West
for average faculty salaries.
“My worst rash of resignations. . .and early
retirements at the college of engineering has
come this year," says Fred Burgess, head of the
engineering school at OSU. “Since the first of the
year. I’ve lost 10 (professors) from resignations
and six from early retirement.”
Burgess says some of his faculty chose to
retire early so they could take better paying jobs
in industry. He says others are attracted to the
higher salaries at different universities.
Whatever the*r"reason for ieaving, Burgess
.says tjiese faculty members are hard to replace.
They are usually “very. productive,” highly
.qualified faculty members in the early part of
' their career, Burgess says.
One. person that left the engineering depart- .
ment at OSU, says Burgess, had a doctorate-in
electronics and was a}so a medical doctor. “He
made about $36,000 at Oregon State and now is .
making $60,000 at Hewlett-Packard,” he says.
"Of the people I’ve lost, I’ve lost two tp other
schools and 10 to industry,’.’ says Burgess. He
says the new higher .education budget if if
passes -7 will help very little. ."I need a more •
substantial across:the-board salary increase to
make Oregon. State more interesting anil com
petitive with industiy," he says.'
“I think I’m going to lose more people even if ■
the new budget passes.” and that could eventual
ly affect students, says Burgess. He says OSU
could decide to limit enrollment, but he doesn’t
think that will ever happen.
“The situation is very critical,” says Richard
Steers, associate dean for academic affairs in the
University business school. According to the
surveys he has seen, professors in the business
school are “significantly underpaid at the senior
level,” he says.
Professors are hired at a very competitive
salary in the business school, but as years go by,
the pay raises get smaller and smaller, Steers
says. As a result, other universities may look
more attractive to professors because they can of
fer more “research support, summer support, and
traveling support.” The University business
school can't compete with that kind of additional
support, he says.
Thelma Greenfield, head of the University
English department, says the quality of education
in her department has been hurt. “We’ve had
positions emptying.... We need about a dozen
more people,” she says.
Many of the faculty members that have left
the English department are close to retirement;
these professors have been teaching at the Univer
sity for a long time and are highly qualified,
Greenfield says. The department can’t afford to
hire professors of the same caliber as those that
are leaving.
"We have to hire at the assistant professor
level,” she says. And for some of the lower divi-’ „
sion classes “we might have to rely on graduate
students.”
“Professors are attracted by the departments
and the University but not by the salaries,”
Greenfield says.
“There’s a tremendous loyalty to Oregon,”
and some faculty members have turned down
larger salaries elsewhere because they.like the at
mosphere of the University’s campus, says Paul
Holbo. University vice-provost for academic
affairs.
“If we were to lose a larger number of pro
fessors somewhere in' the future, it would clearly
have an effect” on the quality of education
students. get at the University, Holbo says.
However, he. adds, that the University has not
.been'affected so far.
. “I think any student who selects his courses
. right can get a very good education at the Univer
sity of Oregon,” says Holbo.
Professor of the Month deadline nears
It’s Jthe professor’s chore to constantly
evaluate the student, but there's a program on
campus that helps to turn the table.
It's, called fhe Professor of the Month and •
it gives outstanding teachers the recognition
students think they deserve, says Lisa Nuss of
the Mortar Board, the campus club sponsoring
the contest.
At the end of the third week of every
month, members of the Mortar Board go to the
two nomination boxes oh campus — one on
the first floor of the library near the card
i
catalogs and the other at the SUAB Informa
tion and Grievance Center booth, in the EMU
lobby — to pick up student nominations and
comments, Nuss says.
Then the ballots for the deserving faculty
members, are taken into consideration by the
board. The board bases its final decision on
comments, number of votes, and class,
observations.
Students have until Friday afternoon this
week to cast their ballot for their favorite pro
fessor in October.
r
Alpha Tau Omega
ATO
A unique opportunity to become a
founder of a fraternity. Kerry Arm
strong, Exec. Director of Chapter Ser
vices, and Mark Mullinix, Director of
Re-Development for Alpha Tau Omega,
will be meeting with men who are in
terested in becoming founding
members of a new fraternity chapter at
the University of Oregon.
The two fraternity representatives
will be in the EMU main lobby Tuesday,
October 23rd and Wednesday, October
24th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. They will
be there to answer any questions and to
provide information about Alpha Tau
Omega. For further information contact
Jeff Corah at 686-3701 or Craig Peterson
at 686-5170.
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