As part of an effort to retain and attract faculty and staff members, Ohio University will raise salaries 2.5 percent next year and cover the cost of increasing health care premiums.
Six Ohio public universities rank higher than OU for average full-professor pay during the 2011-12 academic year, according to a recently released survey by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Salaries for full professors at OU increased an average of $26,500 since 2000, which is $9,900 less than the typical doctoral institution.
“There is concern around this being a strategic priority of the university, being able to attract and retain talented faculty and staff,” said Chad Mitchell, OU’s interim budget director. “Faculty members are concerned about those we have lost and would potentially lose in the future if we lose ground on compensation that we could provide.”
The university is working to fill several open administrator positions, including that of Scripps College of Communication dean, assistant vice president for alumni relations and College of Fine Arts dean.
“Our faculty are in an uncompetitive position in terms of compensation, and we have healthcare costs that are rising,” said C. Robert Kidder, chairman of OU’s Board of Trustees, during a meeting Friday.
OU is expecting about a 5 percent increase in healthcare costs next year but plans on keeping employee premiums the same and paying the difference.
“This increase in healthcare costs is happening around the whole country,” Mitchell said.
Joe McLaughlin, chairman of Faculty Senate, said he would like to see the process of increasing employee salaries accelerated.
“You can’t underestimate the close connection between faculty salaries and academic quality,” he said. “There is a tendency to see a raise pool as an increase, but in many ways that’s what we have to do just to hold steady.”
Other state institutions similar to OU are also expected to raise salaries by about 2 percent next year, McLaughlin said.
OU increased employee salaries by 1.66 percent this year.
“There have been several years in which we have not done what we should,” McLaughlin said. “This is a move in the right direction, but it needs to be accelerated and sustained.”
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