After last month’s decision not to implement a one-time 5% faculty salary increase, University administration continued to face backlash at Tuesday’s faculty meeting.
The salary increase was suggested in February by a University task force, but in October, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 explained that the salary increase would not be possible for financial reasons, including the University’s budget deficit.
Paxson reaffirmed this stance at the faculty meeting.
“I don’t think it makes sense,” she said, “We can’t afford it.”
The meeting highlighted a stark contrast between faculty and administration over the issue of compensation. Faculty members have previously expressed discontent with the compensation process, The Herald previously reported.
Kristina Mendicino, president of the Faculty Executive Committee and associate professor of German studies argued that the University can afford the salary increase.
Citing a recent letter from Brown’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors to Paxson and the FEC, Mendicino argued that from 2005 onward, it was standard for the salary increase pool to be around 5%. The Herald could not independently confirm the contents of the letter by press time.
“That was at a time when the endowment of Brown was half as much as it is today,” said Mendicino, who is also the president of Brown’s AAUP chapter. “So how is it that Brown could afford to provide faculty very generous salary increases … when Brown was half as wealthy.”
Paxson also noted her proposed Faculty Market Adjustment fund, which includes approximately $2.5 million that can be used to “bring up the compensation of faculty that has fallen behind where they should be paid relative to their productivity.”
“I think this two and a half million dollars in the faculty market adjustment fund is feasible if we really work at it,” she said.
Mendicino disagreed, saying that with the University’s large operating budget, $2.5 million is “a drop in that bucket.”
“Brown could afford it if the priorities of this institution were to support the faculty,” she said.
Paxson argued that the across the board increase is not warranted due to the variation in faculty earnings based on when faculty members were hired or promoted, with more recent hires and promoted faculty being more fairly compensated.
“To give everybody across the board the same increase would not be equitable,” she said.
Paxson noted that Brown’s is ranked in the middle of the pack regarding faculty compensation at peer institutions as another reason for refusing the recommendation. She explained that the administration accepted the majority of the committee's recommendations, apart from the 5% increase.
She added that she did not want to discuss the AAUP letter at that time seeing as she had not yet been able to read it because it was sent to her on Tuesday morning.
Gerhard Richter, professor of German studies and comparative literature, pressed Paxson on her efforts to move the meeting on from the topic.
“This is a faculty meeting, and this is about our compensation, so at some point, I think it would behoove you to listen to the faculty and listen to our concerns,” said Richter, who is also vice president of Brown’s AAUP.
“That’s all we’re asking,” he added.
Cate Latimer is a senior staff writer covering faculty and higher education. She is from Portland, OR, and studies English and Urban Studies. In her free time, you can find her playing ultimate frisbee or rewatching episodes of Parks and Rec.
