While state appropriations are the largest revenue source of the U.S. public university systems, they have declined significantly over the past several decades. Surprisingly, there is little empirical work on the effect of state appropriation cuts on the research productivity of public universities. Helping fill that gap, this paper is the first…

Gaps in faculty pay between private and public colleges and universities continue to widen, warned the American Association of University Professors in its annual report on the economic status of the profession. It is a divide, the group argues, that threatens the ability of public institutions to recruit and retain faculty members at all levels.…

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Great Recession began in December 2007 and ended in June 2009. With a duration of eighteen months, this recession was almost double the length of the average post-World War II economic downturn. Although the worst recession since the Great Depression is now technically over, this analysis…

Outrage over salaries for university executives is nothing new. Even presidents of often ignored regional public institutions are feeling public scorn these days. A September editorial in the "Gloucester County Times," a New Jersey newspaper, criticized bonuses received by two local university presidents. One of the leaders, Donald J. Farish,…

Examination of several methods of identifying faculty salary inversion (pay of some junior faculty exceeding that of senior faculty) found no single best method. However, applicability of certain models to different disciplines at different funding levels was demonstrated. (SK)

Comprehensive data from alternate years of annual salary surveys in public universities were analyzed from 1979/80 to 1989/90. Pay compression worsened in some disciplines (business) more than in other high-demand areas, but not all business disciplines were affected to the same degree. Computer/information science and engineering have made…

Average faculty salaries in 47 disciplines are presented by rank for public and private institutions. Salaries for new assistant professors are displayed separately in addition to those for all assistant professors. (MSE)

Data on faculty salaries by rank (professor, associate professor, assistant professor, new assistant professor, and instructor) and sector are presented for 52 disciplines. Respondents were 281 public and 470 private institutions. (MSE)

Explores salary data organized by academic rank using a sample of 78 graduate departments. Finds significant differences among the highest, lowest, and average salaries of assistant, associate, and full professors in private and public universities, and between schools in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. Suggests a lag in supply may affect…

In at least ten states, often those with the lowest public-college faculty salaries, higher-education leaders have made more-competitive faculty salaries a top legislative priority this year. Many of the proposals have encountered resistance from governors and state legislators who have other budgetary priorities or who feel that public-college…

This research brief highlights data on faculty salaries in colleges and universities, outlines recent trends and their implications, and identifies major sources of data on the subject. Tables provide data on average faculty salaries for 1988-89 by academic rank and institution type (public, church, independent); by gender and academic rank; and…

An annual survey of college faculty pay shows faculty in "hard-to-hire" disciplines such as engineering, accounting, physics, and computer science continue to command higher-than-average salaries, while disciplines recently at the bottom of the pay scale remain there. At all ranks except full professor, private college faculty earned more. (MSE)

The use of labor market differentials to determine college faculty salary structures in different disciplines is examined in the context of Michigan and California faculty's efforts to rectify salary inequity. (MSE)

The evolution of California's attempts to determine college faculty salary comparability within and outside the state are chronicled and discussed, focusing on the difficulties inherent in the comparison. (MSE)

Keene State College's experience with establishing and implementing market-based faculty salary increases is described, focusing on faculty concerns about this and other equity issues. (MSE)