The Land Grant University for the 21st Century
Washington State University - Agency 365
2009-2011 Operating Budget
Request
Performance Level Decision Package
–Policy Level "SA"
Salaries for Faculty, Staff and Graduate Students
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Updated Aug 25, 2008
Agency Recommendation
Summary:
Washington
State
University
strongly endorses an average salary increase of
five percent
each year for all its employees.
Compensation must be set at a competitive level for higher education
institutions to recruit and retain high-quality faculty, staff, and students.
Fiscal
Details:
Narrative Justification and
Impact Statement:
It is the
people of Washington State University that produce a college-prepared workforce
and the related research innovations essential to driving Washington’s globally
competitive, knowledge-based economy. These faculty and staff form the
foundation of success from which Washington State University will grow to become
the land grant university for the 21st century.
However, that
foundation of WSU’s success is under threat of erosion.
Other states strategically seek to hire away faculty and staff from the
state of Washington. Despite the great dedication and loyalty shown by WSU
employees, the compensation packages offered by other states are often too
competitive to pass up. WSU and the state of Washington must retain
faculty and staff, stopping the flow of our talented employees to other states.
The problem
intensifies as WSU seeks to attract the additional world-renowned faculty and
research scientists needed to become the land grant university for the 21st
century. WSU’s compensation level is often too low to be competitive in
recruiting additional world-class faculty and staff. WSU and the state of
Washington must recruit new employees to the state of Washington.
Over the last
few years, WSU, the Governor and Legislature have worked to address the problem
of retention and recruitment of faculty and staff; funding
salaries increases of 3.2%, 1.6%, 3.2%, 2.0% from fiscal year 2006 to 2009,
respectively. In addition, WSU has re-allocated funding internally to further
augment salaries.
Even with
these unprecedented combined efforts, WSU’s compensation for faculty continues
to lag far behind peer and Global Challenge States levels.
- WSU was
more than $6,000 per year behind the seventh-ranked school and nearly
$34,000 per year behind the top-paying schools.
- For
associate professors, WSU was more than $14,000 behind the peer average.
- For
assistant professors, WSU trailed the peer average by $7,000 per year.
WSU’s
compensation levels must become more competitive if WSU is to be the land grant
university for the 21st century. This biennial budget is an opportunity to send
a message to the national job market that the state of Washington values its
higher education employees and it will protect and enhance its world-class
universities by providing competitive compensation.
|
Instructional Faculty Salaries, Fall 2007 – Washington State University
& Global Challenge State Peers
|
|
Rank
|
|
PROF
|
Rank
|
|
ASSOC PROF
|
|
1
|
Rutgers University
|
130,070
|
1
|
University of Maryland
|
89,546
|
|
2
|
University of Maryland
|
127,492
|
2
|
Rutgers University
|
89,430
|
|
3
|
University of Connecticut1
|
127,452
|
3
|
University of Connecticut1
|
87,912
|
|
4
|
University of California - Davis
|
121,490
|
4
|
University of Massachusetts
|
87,651
|
|
5
|
Virginia Polytechnic Inst & St Univ.
|
116,194
|
5
|
Virginia Polytechnic Inst & St Univ.
|
83,042
|
|
6
|
University of Massachusetts
|
112,946
|
6
|
University of California - Davis
|
81,475
|
|
7
|
Colorado State University
|
102,272
|
7
|
Colorado State University
|
76,415
|
|
8
|
Washington State University
|
96,119
|
8
|
Washington State University
|
71,353
|
|
Peer Weighted Average
|
121,020
|
|
Peer Weighted Average
|
85,587
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rank
|
|
ASST PROF
|
Rank
|
|
TOP 3 RANKS
|
|
1
|
University of Maryland
|
78,771
|
1
|
Rutgers University
|
106,954
|
|
2
|
University of California - Davis
|
74,219
|
2
|
University of Maryland
|
105,501
|
|
3
|
University of Connecticut1
|
72,546
|
3
|
University of California - Davis
|
103,736
|
|
4
|
Rutgers University
|
72,499
|
4
|
University of Connecticut1
|
98,896
|
|
5
|
Virginia Polytechnic Inst & St Univ.
|
68,117
|
5
|
University of Massachusetts
|
93,891
|
|
6
|
University of Massachusetts
|
66,797
|
6
|
Virginia Polytechnic Inst & St Univ.
|
92,929
|
|
7
|
Colorado State University
|
65,558
|
7
|
Colorado State University
|
85,263
|
|
8
|
Washington State University
|
64,251
|
8
|
Washington State University
|
78,566
|
|
Peer Weighted Average
|
71,492
|
|
Peer Weighted Average
|
99,149
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1
Includes Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, Storrs, Torrington, and
Waterbury campuses.
|
|
|
Note: All salary data except University of California-Davis were
obtained from AAUP for 2007-08 Faculty Salary Survey;
University of California-Davis information was obtained from University
of California System Office.
|
Calculations:
For more information, contact Larry Ganders,
Assistant to the WSU President, Olympia, at 360-534-2333
