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The College Squeeze
ToogoodReports ^ | March 21, 2002 | Henry Pelifian

Posted on 03/21/2002 4:20:46 PM PST by Starmaker

The Los Angeles Times newspaper this week had a major national story: "colleges go to belt-tightening amid money crunch." It all dealt with financial problems from "state budgets due to the slow national economy" and a "bulge in the number of youths reaching college age." As a result, tuition increases of 6% to 8% or more will be forthcoming at publicly funded colleges. The costs of education, especially college, appear to be escalating out of control. Clearly, closer scrutiny by us all on this issue is necessary because the hard reality is that students and the public, not the faculty, are financially burdened in "belt-tightening." The politically correct stance today is never question education spending, but is that the American way and tradition?

There is seldom a focus on college salaries. Since state colleges and universities are publicly funded, one might think that salaries would be an area requiring attention. The salaries of publicly paid educators appear sacrosanct.

According to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the salary of full-time college faculty averaged $58,400 annually and with benefits, it is over $60,000. The average salary today for those ranked as professors is $76,200 per year and with benefits is over $80,000 for teaching nine months a year. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average American family median income today is about $49,000, which usually includes two income earners. (Breakdown: Males $30,132 and Females $18,978) In education today a two family income of $49,000 supports an $80,000 public job often with more benefits (medical and vacation) than the families providing funding. Today in education, salaries and benefits in the public sector are calculated at double or triple that of a single income earner in the typical two-income family of $49,000.

The non-family median income is even lower at $25,425. The per capita income today in the United States according to the Census Bureau is $21,690, yet often the income of public servants are in total disconnect to the public who pays their salaries.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics also states that "most faculty members have significant earnings in addition to their base salary, from consulting, teaching additional courses and research." Educators use the prestige, computers, research, and facilities of their educational institution to profit from consulting income without those benefits being factored into their salaries.

Maybe the publicly funded colleges in America are in a money crunch because their salaries are out of sync with the public who support them. Maybe their salaries should more closely reflect the ability of the public to pay for them. Maybe the income calculations of public servants generally ought to be more closely tied to the income of their ultimate employer — the American people. In our society, it is often publicly funded positions that are indicative of salaries much higher than the majority of the citizens who must provide the resources. We have turned the concept of public servant on its head, for now the public servant often dictates a salary level for the elected representative to rubber stamp. Rubber-stamping is in vogue, for challenging the salaries of public sector educators appears to be an unknown or lost function.

Headlines in today's mainstream media carp and complain about the lack of funding for our colleges echoing the words of some college officials. Maybe those pay scales do not reflect the public's ability to pay for public service positions. The private sector ought to be the domain for the competition of high wages; the law of supply and demand more accurately reflects marketplace conditions. Public sector wages ought to reflect the ability of the people to support publicly funded education in colleges and schools. Pay in the private sector depends largely on profits while in the public sector it relies on public monies through taxation. That is a difference that ought to be taken into account in determining the wages for educators as well as the fact that there are months of vacation or non-teaching time.

A reassessment of public service ought to occur before more resources are delivered to our educational institutions. The infrastructure of buildings, computers, furniture, and utilities must be borne by the public and should be considered in computing salaries of educators. The private sector needs a profit to erect buildings and purchase machines. Salaries are based on the competitive marketplace. The public sector ought not compare its wages to the private sector, but to the ability of its income sources to provide funding. Public funding ought not be an open-ended spigot that has no valve to turn it down or off.

The needs of education are more than just faculty, but also facilities to accommodate an increasing student body. Do college salaries take into consideration the other costs involved in education? Are public servants obligated to consider the needs of the public in their quest for higher salaries? The greater stability of public sector employment without the disadvantage of private sector layoffs ought also to be factored into their income. These are issues that have to be confronted if publicly funded education is to have affordable tuition and taxes. The average American family pays 38% of their income in local, state and federal taxes according to the Tax Foundation. How much more will the American people have to pay to support publicly funded educational institutions?

The only thing between the politician and the public are union votes. The engine that drives the private sector is profits. The engine that drives the public sector is taxes. When the publicly financed colleges have a so-called budget shortfall, it is the public that gets squeezed with higher taxes and increased tuition. As in every public issue, the American people need to become more involved and not permit the status quo to continue if change is to occur.

To comment on this article or express your opinion directly to the author, you are invited to e-mail Henry at uniskywriter@yahoo.com .


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; Government
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 03/21/2002 4:20:46 PM PST by Starmaker
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To: Starmaker
As a result, tuition increases of 6% to 8% or more will be forthcoming at publicly funded colleges

Tuition increases of 6% to 8% or more are always forthcoming.

2 posted on 03/21/2002 4:27:05 PM PST by Grut
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To: Grut
I wonder how much one makes to teach Hand Crafted Easter Eggs or How to Wrap Christmas Presents? These neccssary courses are offered by the U of Memphis as off campus continuing ed courses. They also offer how to organize your kids, how to deal with difficult people. Yoga, aroma therapy, kyaking, fencing, fly fishing, etc.
3 posted on 03/21/2002 6:18:24 PM PST by GailA
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To: Starmaker
In education today a two family income of $49,000 supports an $80,000 public job often with more benefits (medical and vacation) than the families providing funding. Hello, does it occur to you that about 70 such "two family" -- whatever that means --- incomes of $49,000 support one $80,000 public job?

Ranting....

4 posted on 03/21/2002 7:03:55 PM PST by TopQuark
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To: Starmaker
The U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics also states that "most faculty members have significant earnings in addition to their base salary, from consulting, teaching additional courses and research."

Has it occurre to the writer that, while going through the doctoral program, which oftentimes takes 6-7 years, one is payed nothing while the average working family gets about $350,000 in salary?

Starmaker, do we really need to read reports from someone who is upset that he had to work his way through college but knows not what he talks about?

5 posted on 03/21/2002 7:07:26 PM PST by TopQuark
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To: Starmaker
California is experiencing a phenomenon dubbed "Tidal Wave II". It is an increase in college enrollment due to a baby boom echo coupled with immigration into the state from both other states and foreign countries. This decade, California will see an increase of 36% in college enrollment. By 2010, 25% of college US college students will be attending school in California.
6 posted on 03/21/2002 7:16:24 PM PST by socal_parrot
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To: Starmaker
Have you included the yearly cost of contributions to each professor's pension plan in your estimates of salary and benefits?
7 posted on 03/21/2002 7:59:55 PM PST by Axis Mundi
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To: Starmaker
...financial problems from "state budgets due to the slow national economy" and a "bulge in the number of youths reaching college age."...here's hoping that another significant factor in the "money crunch" is an increasing number of alumni/alumnae waking up and refusing to contribute any more money to their alma maters while they continue to function primarily as indoctrination camps for the next generation of wacko-socialists like the one represented by most of today's tenured professors.....
8 posted on 03/21/2002 8:29:53 PM PST by Intolerant in NJ
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