The Griffon News

By Jenna Morrison

PROVO, Utah - A study published by the American Association of University Professors Thursday showed an interesting disparity in the salaries of employees of different universities across the country.

A comparison of compensation for full professors, university presidents and head football coaches at NCAA Division-I universities showed that, on average, a full-time professor makes $101,774, and the average head football coach earns $918,238. Although full-time faculty salaries are up, financial inequality in American higher education continues to increase.

In “Financial Inequality in Higher Education: The Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2006-07,” the reports states that overall, average faculty salaries rose 3.8 percent between 2005-06 and 2006-07.

Saranna Thornton, chair of the American Association of University Professors’ Committee on the Economic Status, said the problem with salary inequality is most evident at private universities and is more pervasive at public schools because they are more likely to be Division I-A.

“Nick Saban, head football coach at the University of Alabama, just signed an eight-year contract for a salary of $4 million a year and bonuses for each bowl game the team makes it to,” Thornton said.

However, the entire budget for the school is only $3.5 million a year, she said, basically meaning one person makes more than the entire budget for the school.

“Actions such as this send a bad message regarding higher education,” she said.

Thornton said there are solutions to this increasing gap between salaries of football coaches and full-time professors.

“The NCAA could play a role in promoting guidelines for coaches’ salaries because, as of right now, my research shows that the average head football coach at a Division I-A school makes two times more than the average college president,” she said.

This issue needs to be addressed collectively, not just one university or college at a time, she said.

“Tax payers and state legislators need to demand accountability for the universities they fund,” she said.

Inequality in salaries is sending a bad message not only to the community, but also to the students.

“This is sending a bad message to students when the football coach is making 10 times more than their professors,” she said.“What is more important? What is taught on the field or in the classroom?”

Thornton suggests that the students should demand accountability of the presidents to facilitate fair salaries among all university employees.

Brigham Young University declined to make a comment regarding any individual’s salary at the university.

In order to make sure BYU is keeping up with the national average of university employees, BYU looks at a study in order to compare itself with schools of similar size.

At BYU there are three separate ranks of professors: assistant professor, associate professor and full professor.

“We aim to keep the lower two ranks of professors at the national average of salaries for schools our size,” said Michael Smart of University Communications. “We have found that our full professors’ salaries are a little below average.”

Why would professors teach here for a lower salary, when they could teach somewhere else and make more money?

“Many professors chose to teach here for reasons in addition to compensation,” Smart said.

Most professors feel great support here from other faculty members and students, as well as a belief in the unique mission statement of BYU, he said.

“Also, this area has a reasonable cost of living that is on average lower than locations of other universities our size,” he said.

A 2005 survey published by the Higher Education Research Institution regarding faculty job satisfaction showed 89 percent of BYU professors surveyed said they were very satisfied with their jobs, and on average, only 80 percent of other professors at private universities said they were very satisfied.

Additionally, 92 percent of BYU professors said they were very satisfied with the quality of university students, whereas the national average was only 75 percent. This survey is conducted every three years.