Everybody knows, or thinks they know, that Virginia doesn’t pay its school teachers enough. But how about college faculty? The higher up the economic food chain you go, the more competitive the salaries are. Do our public colleges and universities pay enough to attract and retain the bright stars of academe?
The House of Delegates has concerns, and has directed the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) to look into them. The logic goes like this: “a college education is essential in a knowledge based global economy, and … increased knowledge and skills result in enhanced employability, higher earning power, career advancement, and a better quality of life. … Faculty expertise enables college graduates to become productive, tax paying employees for thousands of employers across the Commonwealth, region and nation.”
Citing a $350 million “base budget funding gap” in higher ed, the House resolution directs SCHEV to compare salaries and benefits by academic discipline and academic rank, identify best practices for recruiting and retaining high-quality facilty, and develop recommendations for Virginia’s public colleges and universities.
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