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TechnographStudy: teachers' pay lags behind coaches'
By Alissa Groeninger
Posted: 5/2/08 Section: News
After conducting a 1,400-school survey at the end of last year, the American Association of University Professors found that the incomes of professors at public colleges and universities are being forced to compete with the salaries paid to football coaches, the lack of state funding and inflation.
According to the Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession for 2007-08, senior professors' salaries are 10 times lower than the salaries paid to head Division I football coaches.
"The most interesting thing to me is what the spending of colleges and universities reflects regarding the importance of educating students," said Saranna Thornton, a professor who works for the American Association of University Professors and an economy professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
Assistant Director in the Office of University Relations Mike Lillich said schools, including the University, must do so to remain competitive.
He added that this is the way competitive athletic conferences, including the Big Ten, operate.
Another issue raised by the report's findings is the gap between the earnings of professors at public and private schools, a trend during the past decade.
According to the report, professors at private research institutions make an average of 20 percent more than their counterparts at public research institutions.
Thornton said the danger is that public schools may have a difficult time attracting and keeping professors.
"Higher education is a real competitive game," Lillich said. "Everybody is playing hard. It's a tough time for the publics."
Fred Gottheil, professor of economics at the University, said private schools are immune to the lack of finances state legislators can offer and can continue to offer more competitive salaries, making it difficult for professors at public institutions.
Lillich said the private schools also receive significant extra funding from individuals and companies.
According to the Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession for 2007-08, senior professors' salaries are 10 times lower than the salaries paid to head Division I football coaches.
"The most interesting thing to me is what the spending of colleges and universities reflects regarding the importance of educating students," said Saranna Thornton, a professor who works for the American Association of University Professors and an economy professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia.
Assistant Director in the Office of University Relations Mike Lillich said schools, including the University, must do so to remain competitive.
He added that this is the way competitive athletic conferences, including the Big Ten, operate.
Another issue raised by the report's findings is the gap between the earnings of professors at public and private schools, a trend during the past decade.
According to the report, professors at private research institutions make an average of 20 percent more than their counterparts at public research institutions.
Thornton said the danger is that public schools may have a difficult time attracting and keeping professors.
"Higher education is a real competitive game," Lillich said. "Everybody is playing hard. It's a tough time for the publics."
Fred Gottheil, professor of economics at the University, said private schools are immune to the lack of finances state legislators can offer and can continue to offer more competitive salaries, making it difficult for professors at public institutions.
Lillich said the private schools also receive significant extra funding from individuals and companies.
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Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Dough Boy
posted 5/02/08 @ 10:27 PM CST
First off, Fred Gottheil is still a professor of economics at the University? I had him in 1975 and he was great. But he had been at the U of I for a while already. (Continued…)
Data Boy
posted 5/03/08 @ 12:08 AM CST
I can't speak for other institutions however I suspect in the case of Division 1 schools the situation regarding athletic salaries and their funding is the same as the U of I, specifically that they are self funded and receive no state or institutional funds at all. (Continued…)
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