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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42
CEDAR FALLS, IA
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025
VOLUME 121, ISSUE 19
Raises dwindle, cost of living rises
United Faculty to recieve nearly 4% less than inital ask after contract negotiation
OPINION
Managing Editor, Estelle Johnson, discusses her concerns for the future of the first ammendment. SEE PAGE 5
COURTESY/UNI PHOTOSHELTER
Despite the imminent raise, UNI still ranks low for faculty salaries compared to other universities.
BAILEY KLINKHAMMER Executive Editor
CAMPUS LIFE
Executive Editor, Bailey Klinkhammer, gives a sneak peak into the preparation for UNI’s 150 birthday celebration. SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS Sports Writer, Carter Lust, discusses recent moves within the NBA. SEE PAGE 11
Over the past year, United Faculty has brought to light salary disparities between UNI faculty and faculty at UNI’s designated list of peer institutions. Trailing its 10 peer institutions in average faculty salaries, United Faculty sought a 9.89% increase in wages over the course of the two-year contract. The 9.89% increase aims to adjust salaries for the current cost of living, the rise of inflation and salary disparities between peer institutions. The Board of Regents responded to the UNI faculty’s proposal with their own offer of a 6% increase over the two-year contract, falling short almost 4% of United Faculty’s proposal. According to Robert Earle, interim vice president of United Faculty, even though UNI has seen a decrease in full-time faculty, salaries still aren’t on pace to be able to provide for faculty the way salaries did nearly a decade ago. “In order to merely keep up with inflation over the past decade, faculty would need an increase of 9.89% to have the same buying power that the average faculty member has in 2015,”
said Earle. Over the course of 2013 to 2023, UNI lost 158 full time faculty, which Earle says exceeds the rate of enrollment decreases from that same decade. While UNI saw a 28% decrease in full time faculty, employment of executives and managers at UNI increased by 10.8%. UNI currently ranks 11th for full time faculty salaries out of the 12 peer institutions named by UNI. These institutions include Central Connecticut State University, Indiana State University and Eastern Illinois University. While UNI averages a salary of $79,400 for all faculty ranks, peer institutions average $90,900 for all faculty ranks. According to Earle, this data points to a clear disparity in salaries between UNI and its peer institutions. “We were able to draw from this data set in making this argument across all ranks, UNI faculty earn 87% of what their national peers make and have not kept up with inflation,” said Earle. The UNI climate study survey administered by Rankin reported that 63% of UNI faculty had seriously considered leaving the university, and 55% of those who had seriously considered leaving the university
attributed it to low salary pay rate. According to Earle, right now, for professors considering leaving UNI, salaries are “the number one issue.” With almost two-thirds of professors seriously considering leaving UNI, Earle says that the current salary increases “aren’t sustainable.” Not just for faculty, but for UNI students, as well. “Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions. So, that impacts students in all the ways you can imagine,” Earle said. Earle specifically refers to possible distractions and challenges for faculty as they navigate the quality of compensation changing at UNI. “Health care costs are rising, making it even more difficult…for faculty, which ends up being distractions from our work, it ends up leading to us having challenges attracting and retaining wonderfully faculty, and then, when faculty leave, that means additional service gaps that need to be filled by faculty,” said Earle. “So what we see is faculty doing more with fewer resources.” According to Josh Lehman, Senior Communications Director for the Board of Regents, the Regents are proposing a
COURTESY/UNI PHOTOSHELTER
Robert Earle, the interim vice president of United Factulty.
contract that will allow professors to continue to provide quality education for students. “The Board of Regents values the members of United Faculty. They enhance the quality of teaching, research and service at UNI and provide a top-quality experience for our students,” said Lehman. “The Board will continue to follow the collective bargaining process. In addition to proposing a 3% wage increase for each year in the contract, UNI will continue to provide a comprehensive benefits package. That is key to being able to recruit and retain See UNITED FACULTY, page 2