Long-term faculty at UW-Whitewater are getting paid less than newer peers.
The Faculty Compensation Committee is requesting that UW-Whitewater address issues of pay compression and inversion through a yearly assessment, and that it adjusts faculty salaries with consideration of their years of service. The committee asks for regular salary adjustments for full-time professors and associate professors with 10 or more years of experience.
“Faculty of a certain number of years of service did not get cost of living increases for this number of years,” said associate professor of politics, government & law Jonah Ralston. “There should be a block grant from the state to deal with that.”
Pay compression occurs when there’s little difference in pay between employees regardless of differences in their respective knowledge, skills, experience or abilities.
Salary inversion refers to situations in which the starting salaries for new recruits to an organization increase faster than those for existing employees, and consequently junior employees out-earn their senior colleagues.
The committee is also requesting an increase in summer, winterim and overload pay to at least $5,900-$6,100, along with full transparency on salary adjustments.
“Faculty compensation has been identified as number-one priority, along with others that are really important as well,” said professor James Hartwick. “The FCC was asking in the fall. We met with our administration. The chancellor and the provost have been really trying to work with us and I hope that the good progress continues.”
In related items, a new layoff policy for UW-Whitewater will also be outlined and created by the 2024-2025 Faculty Senate.
“It is in the interest of us and our administration to make layoffs rare or never, and to create strong protections for that,” said Hartwick. “So it is hopeful that we’ll be able to collaborate with the administration.”
For more information about the UW-Whitewater Faculty Senate and to view all current meeting agendas for the 2023-2024 school year, visit www.uww.edu/facsenate.
