More Status Quo for Tennessee Professors

While everyone has felt a pinch from the current economy, few have felt it as tightly as universities. Tennessee professors got a bit more bad news regarding their paychecks.

The American Association of University Professors published a new report that claims 2009 to have the worst salaries for professors in the last 50 years. Over 2008, professorial salaries were unable to keep up with inflation and increased by only 1.2 percent. This was while many schools suffered massive budget cuts and funding losses. Universities reacted by buying out senior staff members, bringing on non-tenured and part time teachers, and freezing wages.

Coleman McGinnis, director of government relations or the Tennessee conference of the AAUP and a retired political science professor at TSU said, "When you talk about faculty salaries, Tennessee is rapidly racing to the bottom."

Most people think that professors receive a decent salary, a comfortable life, and a job for life if they are granted their tenure. In sort, people think they have it easy. Coleman said, “there's a public perception that we're underworked and overpaid."

Most professors are teaching five courses, doing their own independent research, advising students, and going to committee meetings. Since all of the budget cuts, staffing has been slashed, classes increased in size, and a lot more adjunct, part-time professors replace full-time teachers for a fraction of the cost and benefits.

The Tennessee Board of Regents has not passed a cost-of-living increase for faculty in two years, and it is likely to be another two years before another can be considered, says Dale Sims, TBR vice chancellor for business and finance.

Sims said, “We are aware that keeping, retaining and trying to recruit quality faculty is key to what we do.” The TBR manages most of the public unversities and community colleges in the Middle Tennessee area. "We will be looking for ways over time to ensure that we are competitive.”