Recently, a study was released placing IU sixth in average faculty salaries within Big Ten public schools. This rank is up one notch from seventh during the 2000-01 school year. The study was performed by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The AAUP study showed the average salary for full-time professors at IU was $94,000, up from $88,200 in 2000-2001. Associate professors received an increase from $61,000 to $64,000 and assistant professors had an average salary of $49,800 -- up from $55,300. But IU is still lacking in competition with other Big Ten schools -- the University is still only in sixth place. To make these recent salary increases possible, the IU Board of Trustees raised tuition by .5 percent. In Februrary of 1998, the trustees implemented a faculty salary raise process in an effort to move IU up in the Big Ten rankings. We think this is an effective way to be sure that the quality of an IU student's education is top-notch. Higher salaries retain and attract talented educators. More money is an incentive for associate or assistant professors to continue working at IU and eventually become full-time professors. The cost of tuition is a factor students must consider when choosing a college, and if students do not want to deal with tuition increases, then they can always choose another university -- even though they may be lowering the quality of education they will receive. But we think students are getting their money's worth for the quality of education IU provides -- which is made possible in part by the faculty salary increases. According to a May 16 IDS article, the pay raises are already creating positive results in IU academic departments. "We are already seeing impact on the retention front," David Zaret, Executive Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, told the IDS. "This year, we had a smaller number of faculty that received outside offers from other institutions than has been the case in the last several years." Because of IU's decision to move the University up in Big Ten faculty pay rankings, this obviously will not be the last time are increases are made at IU. The University has made a commitment to retaining and attracting full-time and associate professors, and IU students are just going to have to deal with the tuition increases that come with that commitment.
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