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April 28, 2011

Budget, salary concerns aired at BPC

The state budget continued to be the main topic of discussion at the April 15 Senate budget policies committee (BPC) meeting.

The bulk of the meeting was a closed session in which Vice Provost for Academic Planning and Resources Management David DeJong discussed the status of Pitt’s fiscal year 2012 budget.

In the meeting’s open session, BPC chair John J. Baker offered a brief analysis of data from two Joint State Government Commission reports on faculty instructional output and pay.

Using the figures reported to the JSGC (which Baker pointed out are different from IPEDs data and figures used by the American Association of University Professors), he noted that the average salary for instructional faculty of all ranks at Pitt increased 0.34 percent from 2004-05 to 2009-10.

“If you look at these salary increases across the board it’s less than inflation. We have a 16.4 percent increase in inflation in that six-year period and these salaries would average out less than that,” he said.

During the same period tuition went up 30.7 percent for in-state students and 18 percent for out-of-state students and instructional revenues showed increases of 41.7 and 43.3 percent, respectively.

Citing critics in the state budget debate who call attention to rising tuition costs, Baker said, “They seem to be criticizing us because we’re raising instructional revenue, but the figures they track don’t account for money going into non-instructional things. Other expenses that the universities have go up, and they’re not looking at them.”

The report showed a 4.3 percent increase in Pitt’s state appropriation over the six-year period, Baker said.

Senate President Michael Pinsky said, “We’re supposed to be keeping in-state tuition low and that’s the reason we get a state appropriation. … The argument is the amount of state appropriation hasn’t gone up in proportion.” Pinsky said he agreed with the concept of keeping tuition low for in-state students, but if the state doesn’t help, “we have to make up the shortfalls someplace.”

Baker reiterated that faculty can play a part in improving the budget situation by asking their legislators and Gov. Tom Corbett to reduce the proposed 50 percent budget cuts to Pitt’s appropriation.

Pinsky discussed a letter containing talking points and legislators’ contact information that the Senate, with the administration’s approval, sent April 25 to faculty. He likened the letter to advocacy efforts Pitt’s graduate and undergraduate student government organizations were spearheading.

Pinsky said it’s important for faculty to speak out if they believe in the importance of low-cost higher education in general and the importance of Pitt in particular.

He noted that Pitt perhaps has not underscored enough in local circles its level of national excellence.

“We really are one of the world’s best academic centers. This is not hyperbole, this is a fact,” he said. “I travel all over the world lecturing and people are profoundly impressed with what we’re doing.” He suggested that community outreach in the form of faculty speaking to community groups about their work is a way to help raise that local consciousness. “People love hearing what faculty at Pitt are doing,” he said.

In other business:

• Baker reported that the annual salary report comparing Pitt faculty salaries with peer institutions likely would be presented at BPC’s June meeting.

• BPC’s next meeting is set for 12:10 p.m. on May 20 in 512 CL.

—Kimberly K. Barlow


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