Retaining and Recruiting World-Class Faculty

Current compensation levels have made it more difficult to recruit and retain faculty in a very competitive market and when enrollments and research funding are at record levels.

High-quality faculty are the cornerstone of the University of Missouri. Whether it is through teaching, mentoring, research or public service roles, faculty embody what is at the heart of the university—a dedication to shaping the minds of tomorrow’s leaders.

Professor teaching students at whiteboard The university’s ability to attract and retain qualified faculty is in danger. A study of top faculty at public institutions of the Association of American Universities (AAU)—a group of the nation’s most prestigious public and private research universities—showed that the Columbia campus ranked last among 33 universities in the growth of base faculty salaries from fall 1997 to fall 2006. Additionally, the Columbia campus was 32 out of 33 institutions within this same group when ranked according to the current average base salary provided to faculty for fall 2006.

Compare this with the average faculty salary increases in the surrounding states of Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, which ranged from 29.2 percent to 47.2 percent. During the same period, salaries at MU increased an average of only 20.4 percent. Similar challenges exist with faculty compensation at other campuses of the University of Missouri.

Request

Students outside The University of Missouri is asking the state to participate in a three-year program that will
bring ranked faculty salaries at the university to the average of comparable institutions. The state’s
share would be $3.6 million for three years, matched with the same annual amount funded by
the university. The state did not fund this initiative last year, however, so the university funded
both its share and the state’s share, taking resources from other critical needs.

An investment to recruit and retain top faculty results in a stronger educational experience for students and contributes to the state’s economic development through additional funding for research and the creation of new businesses from technology transfer.

Fast Facts

The University of Missouri-Columbia ranks next to last among comparable institutions according to the current average base salary provided to ranked faculty for fall 2006—and last in the growth of base faculty salaries from fall 1997 to fall 2006.
Similar faculty compensation issues exist among all four UM campuses.
Faculty in nationally ranked UM departments are often lured away to other colleges and universities, enticed with larger salaries and more resources.

Profile

“Missouri University of Science and Technology—right here in Rolla, Missouri—is one of the nation’s top five technological research institutions, competing against the ‘big boys’ like MIT, Cal Tech and Georgia Tech. Why are we among the best? Because we’ve traditionally recruited and retained top faculty who not only bring their own disciplines to life within the classroom, but are also involved in cutting-edge research that advances their field.

Student and professor creating glasswork “The problem is these superstar faculty are in high demand at other institutions as well. And because faculty salaries at all University of Missouri campuses have not kept pace with comparable institutions, top-notch faculty are lured away by higher salaries and better start-up packages. When they leave, we not only lose their talent, but the resources we have invested in them and the research dollars they bring to the area. Their departure represents a real brain drain for our campuses, putting the quality of our academic programs in jeopardy, as well as resulting in an economic loss to the state.”

— Kent Wray, Provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs,
Missouri University of Science and Technology