Category: compensation

AAUP Faculty Compensation Survey

A national survey of university faculty compensation paints a troubling picture of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on higher education. Salaries dropped for the first time since 2011 according to a national survey by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). Adjusted for inflation, salaries decreased 0.4 percent when averaged across the more than 900 colleges and universities surveyed, and declined by by 0.8 percent at doctoral institutions. Nearly 60 percent of institutions surveyed froze or cut salaries, while about 30 percent cut or modified fringe benefits. The survey also showed substantially higher salaries for male faculty over female faculty, and for private institutions over public.

For the full report see: 2020-21 Faculty Compensation Survey Results.

UCOP Study Shows Decline in Faculty Compensation

fa_logoA year ago Colleen Lye and James Vernon, co-chairs of the Berkeley Faculty Association, drew the attention of faculty across the ten campuses of the University of California to the continuing degradation of their pensions, benefits and salaries. Increasing employee contributions to health insurance and pensions were compounding the negative impact of slow salary group, they argued, and retirees faced fewer choices for healthcare.

Now UCOP’s own study of total remuneration has confirmed much of their argument. The executive summary of this document contains the following depressing bullet points:

  • Between 2009 and 2014, UC’s total remuneration fell from 2% below market to 10% below market.
  • Health and welfare benefits fell from 6% above market in 2009 to 7% below market in 2014, primarily caused by higher medical employee contributions at higher salary bands compared to the market.
  • Changes to retirement plan designs since 2009 reduced positioning against market from 29% above market to 2% below market.
  • Total retirement decreased from 33% above market to 6% above market.
  • Total benefits decreased from 18% above market to 1% below market.

Read more on the CUCFA website.