Editorial Proposed raise needs structure Are University professors being underpaid in comparison with other comparable liberal arts schools? At the most recent faculty meeting, concerns were raised that University professors are paid an average of 8% to 12% less than schools like Trinity, Amherst, and Williams. Currently, University salaries are only competitive for assistant professors — the lowest level of the pay scale. While this creates an atmosphere that easily attracts younger professors, the longer they stay at the University and become full professors, their salaries are no longer on par with their peers at other institutions. Wesleyan is fortunate to have some of the best professors in their respective fields concentrating on undergraduate teaching. One of the greatest risks in not keeping the salaries of full professors competitive is that we run the risk of losing them to other institutions, such as Harvard or Berkeley, which have established graduate programs to lure professors who have already made a name for themselves. Put simply, if there is no salary incentive for professors to stay, they will move on to more prestigious institutions with deeper pockets. It is in the University’s best interest to pay professors well and increase faculty morale on campus, but the money must come from somewhere, a crucial fact not outlined in the proposal of the faculty. Contributors to the Wesleyan Campaign have a say in where their donations go, and it is too late to change the face of the Campaign to include faculty salary improvements in the long list of how donations are used. Tuition could be raised, but Wesleyan is already ranked the second highest liberal arts school in terms of student debt after college. While professors are calling for increased salaries, the University’s endowment is small and money from the Wesleyan Campaign is already earmarked for other causes, such as financial aid and the improvement of the physical plant. The faculty as a whole say that they do not know how much money they will earn in years to come and did not realize that as they are promoted they will not be paid on par with their peers elsewhere. According to President Bennet, lower faculty salaries are not causing professors to leave nor is it stopping them from coming to the University. However, the administration should be asked to defend its own priorities and say why the money does not exist to raise faculty salaries to a level comparable with other institutions. Faculty morale is an important issue to consider. Surely the quality of teaching will increase if faculty are satisfied with how much money they earn. But professors should have a clear plan of where to find the money that they want used to increase their salaries, since it must come from somewhere. editorial cartoon by George Obulutsa '03

editorial letters i hold no grudge Ask AASC about the Asian American Studies issue Release GLBTQQ survey results to student body NOW! Palestinians earned culpability by snubbing peace efforts Mid East violence is simply one nation under attack  Talib Kweli, Von Bondies to play Winter Carnival Univ. Major and tutorials not enough Music enriches your soul, not just your ears Public Safety called in for MoCon cup craziness Dearth of courses yields Visual Arts Un-visible Multicultural curriculum more than intellectual fad Veal-eater asks for the right to choose

The Wesleyan Argus © 2001 Wesleyan University Questions/Comments: Min Ter Lim, Online Editor or the Argus