By Brandon Fey, News Editor
2024 Faculty Compensation Report
The first item on the meeting agenda was the presentation of the 2024 Faculty Compensation Report by the Faculty Finance Committee.
This report outlines trends in faculty compensation compared to other institutions, and was compiled with data from the American Association of University Professors and the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System as well as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Social Security Administration.
Kathleen Cain of psychology, one of the three faculty members on the committee, began by presenting how Gettysburg College faculty compensation compares to other “companion schools.” These were divided into three categories: “Reach Schools,” which represent what the College aspires to resemble, “Like Schools,” which are considered to be similar to Gettysburg, and “Watch Schools” to which the College is said to be superior.
Cain reported that for the 2023-24 academic year, the Gettysburg College professor salary was 10% ($12,134) less than that of the “Like Schools” average, while remaining below that of “Reach Schools” and above “Watch Schools.” This followed a similar trend for the associate professor salary, which was 6.6% ($6,315) less than the “Like Schools” average as well as the assistant professor salary, which was 5.2% ($4,259) less.
Gettysburg’s average annual percent change for the past five academic years was 1.67%, which was the second lowest percentage change among the 21 other schools compared to it. This fell below the “Like Schools” average change of 2.97% as well as the “Watch Schools” average increase of 2.44%. Through the same period of time, the Gettysburg College lecturer salary increased by $3,331, coming within $6,616 of the instructor salary, which rose by $3,008 over that time.
Chair of the business, organization, and management department Joseph Radzevick, who also serves on the Faculty Finance Committee, presented on the comparison of College faculty salary changes with the cost of living over the past five academic years. He reported that the average salary increase of 1.67% since the 2019-20 academic year fell below the average cost of living increase of 4.14% during that time.
Adjusted to 2019-20 dollars, the data reflects a downward trend in faculty salaries over the past five years, with the professor salary having fallen by $17,552, the associate professor salary down by $14,407, assistant professor salary down by $10,984, lecturer salary by down $8,408, and instructor salary down by $7,038.
In terms of retirement contributions, Gettysburg College’s 7.7% is $3,235 below the “Like Schools” average of 9.7%. The “Reach Schools’” average was reported as 10% with “Watch Schools” at an average of 7%.
Radzevick explained that while the AAUP data reflects a $12,735 difference in professor salaries between Gettysburg and average “Like Schools,” the IPEDS data, which tends to be more accurate, suggests that the difference is $8,739 instead. The AAUP data also represents a $5,017 difference in associate professor salary while IPEDS suggests that it is instead $3,182.
Equity adjustments were reported to have lowered the salary gap between male and female educators at the College. Female professors’ salaries as a percentage of male professors’ salaries rose by .9% to 93.6%, which is .7% less than the “Like schools” average of 94.3%. The percentage in terms of female associate professors also rose to 97.4% of their male counterparts’ salaries, and that of female assistant professors remained at 100.4%. Radsevick acknowledged that some of the disparity may be due to individual tenure.
Music Professor Robert Natter, who also serves on the Faculty Finance Committee, summarized the results of the report, stating that Gettysburg College faculty salaries are below peer institutions at all ranks, and the gap between them is continuing to increase. This gap between institutions also extends to retirement benefits, though employee healthcare costs will rise by a minimal ~2% this year.
Despite this, Natter reported that the AAUP data reflects equity adjustments that have improved to more equitable salaries for faculty at the College. He said that seeking to raise base levels funds from 2% to 3% depends on tuition revenue and the Board of Trustees.
After the presentation, Iuliano said that the College’s largest expense outside of financial aid is compensation, and that “there is work to do around campus.”
President Iuliano said that he believes that the decline in the student body over recent years has made compensation more difficult than in the past due to a lower supply and emphasized the importance of innovation and adaptation in Gettysburg’s strategic approach.
One professor asked why Gettysburg College is still compared to the “Like schools” group, saying that from the report, the College appears to rank consistently below them.
President Iuliano replied that the category applies to institutions of “similar academic aspirations and standards,” while Gettysburg is closer to “Watch schools” in terms of financials.
Vote on Online ‘Masters of Education: Educational Design and Inquiry’ Proposal
The next agenda item was the vote on the motion to create an online masters of education program through the College. This proposal was initially presented at the Oct. 17 faculty meeting by professor of sociology in educational studies Divonna Stebick.
President Iuliano said that the Faculty Council had asked him to speak about his opinion on the role of masters programs at Gettysburg College.
He said that the proposal would correspond with the effort to improve net tuition outcomes and that he understands that the addition of the program is not alone sufficient, as more structural change is necessary given the current headwinds facing the College.
He said that while he understands the perspective held by some faculty members that the program contradicts the undergraduate focus of the College, he ultimately believes that the program would be helpful in sustaining the school economically.
He realizes that such programs cannot “be done infinitely and haphazardly,” and he said that will engage faculty bodies during the spring on how the program will fit into the College’s priorities.
Stebick said that the IT department is prepared to support the program and that she has consulted a group of local school superintendents to assess the market for the program.
Dean of Musselman Library Robin Wager commented about the concerns History department Chair Dina Lowy raised at the Nov. 17 faculty meeting about the program’s potential burden for the library staff. Wagner said that while it is true that the existing Masters in American History Program did suddenly increase the workload for the library’s already reduced staff without prior notice, the Master of Education Program will not be burdensome as it will have fewer enrolled students, and was already thoroughly discussed with the library staff.
She stated that the proposal has the library’s endorsement.
The proposal was also endorsed by representatives from the sociology department as well as the Faculty Finance Committee.
Director of the Sunderman Music Conservatory James Day asked for clarification about the administrative responsibilities of the program’s lecturer in addition to teaching six courses, and shared his anxiety about starting the program so soon after the teacher certification program was restarted.
Stebick said that the six masters courses are online and will be spread throughout the year starting over the summer, and that some of the courses will be completed in collaboration with other professors and confirmed that two of these courses will be created by a single lecturer this spring.
Provost Jamila Bookwala said that the existing education and music education programs are “well supported” and will not be neglected.
The proposal was approved by a faculty vote.
Amendment to Eligibility of First Post-Sabbatical Leave Policy
Philosophy department chair and head of the Faculty Development Committee Gary Mullen said that the motion that faculty should be eligible for their first post sabbatical leave after two years, was largely supported by survey results.
While the current policy states that only 10 professors may be on sabbatical at the time, there can be criteria for possibly exceeding this number, given available financial resources, the strength and quality of proposed research proposals, and the number of years for which applicant faculty members have served since their last sabbatical leave.
In response to a faculty question, Bookwala said that additional sabbatical approvals need to be staggered to address an initial bulk in eligible applicants, though it should not present an issue in the future.
German studies professor Richard Lambert commented that excess eligibility was considered in the redrafting, and that there are existing cohorts of professors who are due to take sabbatical, and that those on further tenure tracks will be prioritized.
