University of Central Oklahoma
THURSDAY September 8, 1994
The Student Voice Since 1903
Comparing apples & oranges? How UCO faculty salaries measure up with the other big boys' By Roy Howe Staff Writer
•
Based on her presumption that most University of Central Oklahoma faculty are not content with their pay, especially those who have seen no increase in three years, Faculty Senate Vice President Roberta Sloan said she urges top administrators to redress their priorities for next year's budget. At their first regular meeting Sept. 1, Sloan told the senate that on a couple of occasions she and UCO senate President Stephen Law met with university President George Nigh where salaries were the exclusive topic. "It was our position, believing that we were representing the majority of the faculty on campus, in saying that there was a wide-spread dissatisfaction with the fact that for the third year in a row there were no salary raises except for those with promotions," she said. Nigh's view that faculty raises are impeded by stand-still state allocations and the lack of additional funding simply doesn't give faculty the proper priority, Sloan said. "As he has tried to explain in various faculty/staff meetings, he doesn't believe there is money for salary raises," Sloan said. "Our stance in response was, 'you have an operational budget and it's all in how you decide to use it, and how you decide to allocate it."' The State Regents for Higher Education's most recent study comparing the state's 25 public colleges and universities show UCO averaging the third highest salaries in the state for full-time faculty. Studying the 1992-93 dollar amounts, the regents found a combined average salary for all full-time ranks at UCO to be $41,610. The salaries of all ranks at the University of Oklahoma averaged $44,219, just behind Oklahoma State University which was at $44,317 during 1992-93. The totals were based on regular course loads taught during a normal
Editorial
2
Letters
2
World Wrap Around Campus
6 19
Sports 8-9 Comics
19
9-10 month period. common education as woes to funding spread concern. However, when the salaries are broken higher education. "One of the things that occurred to me down by rank, associate professors, assis"College officials hope that once the and occurred to Steve (Law) as we were tant professors and instructor positions at school reforms (HB 1017) are fully having these discussions with the presiUCO pay more than those at OU and financed in 1995, the state will find more dent, is that I believe it's kind of his belief OSU according to the regents' 1992-93 that the majority of faculty are really not money for higher education," stated the year study. that passionate about this issue," she told Professors received an average of Chronicle. the Faculty Senate. Nigh said he also must look to the leg$50,292 during the 1992-93 academic "And I believe that it is our job to year, associate professors averaged islature for help in elevating pay for both reflect how the faculty really do feel, and $44,221 that year, assistant professors faculty and staff. In addition, he reiterat- to find a vehicle or a way of making that averaged $38,655 and instructors' salaries ed that the recent sale of bonds to finance apparent to the president," she said, "that averaged $32,217 two years ago. the university's Master Plan are ear- this is a big issue, that, yes, we are happy A more recent study by the State marked only for the building projects. with our salaries, but three years in a row Regents, who utilized the Chronicle of "I can understand any frustrations of no salary increases certainly puts us Higher Education for their comparassociated with salary increases by the behind the cost of living related to three isons, show last year's average salary at faculty and staff," said Nigh. years ago." Oklahoma four-year institutions at 84 perSloan said she hopes that adminisNigh said he is concerned with cent of the national average for all ranks. trators realize faculty pay is a widesalaries, university-wide. The only exception was in the rank of instructor, who AVERAGE SALARIES PAID TO FULL-TIME earned 4 percent FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE FACULTY more in Oklahoma than COMPARED TO NATIONAL AVERAGE the national aver60 age. According to this study, last year, professors' salaries were at 83 percent of the national average, associate professors earned 88 percent of the national average and assistant professors' salaries averaged 96 percent of that earned in the same rank nationally. The Chronicle for Higher Education points to Oklahoma's current budget priorities such as Medicaid, corrections, juvenile jus93-94 National Average tice and the 1990 SOURCE: Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. House Bill 1017 law to reform
FLASHBACK 79 years ago, a groundbreaking transformed UCO's Evans Hall.
7
8
SPORTS
Joe Aska and Karl Myles lead Bronchos to opening football victory.
MUSIC Vista r eporter reporter Jimmy Hyde "crushes velvet" at a Norman club.