2008 Woodie Awards
Unfair to compare WU to WashU and SLU
Issue date: 9/13/07 Section: Letters to the Editor
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I would like to commend The Journal for drawing attention to faculty salaries at Webster University. Each year, the faculty meets with the administration to negotiate salary and fringe benefits. However, we calculate faculty salary comparisons at a national level with other Category IIA institutions. The administration and the faculty have agreed to work towards national benchmarks. Specifically, we are committed to increasing full professor salaries to reach the 60th percentile of all IIA schools. The benchmark for associate and assistant professors is at the 50th and 45th percentiles, respectively. We are close to meeting these goals and look forward to increasing these benchmarks in the near future.
Of the schools you listed, only Maryville and Fontbonne fit into the IIA category. Universities such as Washington University, SLU, and UMSL are Category I institutions. Although the faculty at Webster University would like to be paid as much as professors from these schools, the reality is that we are comparing apples and oranges. For example, Webster University is a teaching institution whereas the above Category I schools are primarily research institutions.
Nonetheless, I want to thank you for drawing attention to faculty salaries at Webster University. However, I would like to point out that the AAUP data you cite in your article only provides average salaries - not median data as your article mistakenly asserts. The Chronicle of Higher Education presents median data on administrative salaries. I think the faculty would be very interested in that analysis.
Michael R. Hulsizer
Associate Professor Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chairman Salary and Fringe Benefit Committee
Of the schools you listed, only Maryville and Fontbonne fit into the IIA category. Universities such as Washington University, SLU, and UMSL are Category I institutions. Although the faculty at Webster University would like to be paid as much as professors from these schools, the reality is that we are comparing apples and oranges. For example, Webster University is a teaching institution whereas the above Category I schools are primarily research institutions.
Nonetheless, I want to thank you for drawing attention to faculty salaries at Webster University. However, I would like to point out that the AAUP data you cite in your article only provides average salaries - not median data as your article mistakenly asserts. The Chronicle of Higher Education presents median data on administrative salaries. I think the faculty would be very interested in that analysis.
Michael R. Hulsizer
Associate Professor Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Chairman Salary and Fringe Benefit Committee
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