MU’s below-average faculty salaries aren’t news to the university.
The American Association of University Professors released its annual faculty salary survey last week. Among the other Big 12 universities, MU is ranked ninth.
According to AAUP’s 2010-2011 faculty salaries report, a full-time MU professor earns an average of $111,000 a year. Compared to last year’s data, this number is slightly increased by $100.
But MU’s average pay doesn’t meet the 40th percentile — $111,216 – for full professors at equal-rank universities nationally.
The average pay for associate professors and assistant professors is lower. Their annual salaries are $73,500 and $60,900, respectively. Compared with the national data, these numbers do not meet the 20th percentile.
“We are very aware of it,” MU spokesman Christian Basi said. “This has been an issue and concern for several years.”
He said the statewide budget cut has impacted the constrained faculty salaries.
“We haven’t seen the increase for several years,” Basi said. “Actually, the past year we saw a cut.”
Even though this marks the third year faculty salaries did not increase, there will be a 2 percent increase in the salary pool for faculty, Basi said.
“Not everybody got the 2 percent increased salaries,” he said. “It depends on the job performance.”
MU Budget Director Tim Rooney presented the budget at the spring general faculty meeting April 19.
“We must address salaries,” he said. “That is our number one priority.”
He said it will take $400 million endowment to raise the faculty salary to the AAUP median.
“We can simply raise fees and tuition, but we are constantly concerned with MU’s affordability,” Basi said.
He said MU is still facing a budget gap between $5 and $20 million.
“We always strive to maintain the highest (educational) quality as we can,” Basi said. “But it is difficult to maintain.”
Among other Big 12 universities, the University of Texas at Austin has the highest annual faculty salaries. The average annual pay for a full professor is $136,000.
