BOG to Consider Faculty Salaries

The proposal is projected to require about $71 million in 2003-04 and $82 million in 2004-05. The request comes at a time of continued financial difficulties for the state, largely due to the poor economy.

If passed Friday by the BOG, the budget first will go to Gov. Mike Easley and then to the N.C. General Assembly for consideration.

The board requested the increase so the system can remain competitive with peer institutions, said BOG member James Babb. It would help to retain faculty members and make the system more attractive to applicants.

A 6 percent increase was requested in the last budget but never was considered seriously by the General Assembly.

Jonathan Ducote, president of the UNC Association of Student Governments and a nonvoting member of the BOG, said the board wanted to make sure its cards were clearly on the table in time for next year's faculty salary considerations.

He said this increase is more likely to be adopted because faculty members have not seen a pay increase in two years.

Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, chairwoman of the N.C. House Education Subcommittee on Universities, said the UNC system cannot compete nationally because of low salaries.

"We will continue to lose really good people until salaries become competitive," she said. "All the Republicans pledged not to raise taxes. But everyone in the House agrees with the principle of raising faculty salaries."

But BOG members said they do not expect the entire budget to be adopted given the state's budget deficit.

"We have no expectation that the request can be fully funded this biennium," states the board's request.

Although the BOG regularly asks for more money than they receive, none of its requests are frivolous, said Insko.

Because the board is clear about its funding priorities, less important initiatives are abandoned, she said. Those initiatives help legislators plan for the system's future budget proposals.

Jeff Davies, UNC-system vice president for finance, said he would like to see the entire budget approved.

"I hope that it will be fully funded, but it is more important for the universities responsible to make their needs known to the General Assembly," he said.

There is no guarantee that the legislature will be in a position to underwrite the cost of running the UNC system, Babb said.

Regardless of whether the proposed budget is funded, the money needed will continue to increase, he said.

If the legislature does not grant the requested increases, individual campuses might use more of their tuition increase money for faculty salaries, Ducote said.

Insko said she is concerned because the proportion of the UNC system's funding from the legislature falls each year. She said only 23 percent of the UNC system's total funds come from the legislature.

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.