As a result of uncertainty surrounding the commonwealth’s current economic situation, the University’s Board of Visitors decided last week to defer action on the issue of supplementing faculty salaries beyond the 2-percent increase called for in the current commonwealth budget.
For the past five years, according to Leonard Sandridge, University executive vice president and chief operating officer, the Board has augmented salary increases from the commonwealth. Sandridge stated in an e-mail that this augmentation is not likely to occur in the 2008-09 year for economic reasons.
The salary increase currently called for in the commonwealth’s budget also is uncertain.
“The current state budget includes salary increases for faculty and staff effective November 25,” Sandridge stated. “However, given the current economic stress the state and the nation are facing, we are not sure what the state might do to reduce spending in 2008-2009 and we do not know whether there will be any impact on the planned salary increases.”
The competitiveness of the University’s faculty salaries could be impacted by changes in government funding.
“Many of the other schools, particularly state schools, are under similar or more severe budget pressure,” Faculty Senate Chair Edmund Kitch said. “The $2.9 billion [deficit] has to come from somewhere, but there are some things that can’t be expected to go down.”
Kitch also said prospective faculty members may receive offers from a number of institutions, noting “salaries are part of the package that the University uses to try to attract a competent faculty.” He said, though, that faculty members already working in Charlottesville already have some investment in the University, which could factor into decisions about whether to accept offers from another college or university.
According to Sandridge, the Board’s plan for supporting faculty salaries will next be addressed in June 2009 as part of the discussion for the following academic year’s budget.
“We had been asked to recommend a plan for continuing our multi-year efforts to keep faculty salaries at competitive levels,” Sandridge stated. “We recommended that the next five-year plan be included in the University’s budget for 2009-2010.”
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