Subject: Effect of Salary Cuts on Higher Ed

Referenced Article: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2010/03/04/governor-accuses-legislators-of-fear-mongering-scare-tactics-in-college-cuts/

Sen. Harp,

I felt compelled to write to you in response to some comments attributed to you. The following comes from an article posted earlier today on the web site of the AJC:

"Harp repeated his contention that the chancellor and Regents have not looked hard enough at cutting the salaries of their top people. He disputed Chancellor Erroll Davis’ contention that such cuts would cause the best people to leave the system. He noted that a member of the Legislature was a Delta pilot now earning 35 percent less, but that the airline was healthy again."

I understand that many industries, especially those with salaries inflated due to upward pressures from union representation, have been able to absorb significant pay cuts. But I want to make sure that you are aware of the stark differences between these types of industries and higher education.

Pilots are pilots. It is what they do. They may change companies, but rarely can they change careers and expect to maintain the salaries that their seniority as a pilot commands. And while the airline industry is competitive, these pay cuts occurred industry-wide. They had few other options but to accept the cuts.

By contrast, professors are professionals in a variety of industries who have decided for one reason or another to serve society by teaching. They accept a significantly lower salary than would be available to them in the private sector--partly in exchange for some freedoms offered academics, but largely for the satisfaction of teaching the next generation to succeed in fields that they love. This is especially true for faculty at Georgia's 30+ non-Research universities, where salaries are significantly lower and strong professional qualifications are the rule rather than the exception. Most are employable outside of academia at salaries much higher than they are currently paid.

I am an Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems at Augusta State University. I've been here for less than four years. Prior to that I was a successful information systems consultant for over 10 years. I am 38 years old and I am currently making a salary below what I made at age 25 and a significant order of magnitude below that at which I left the professional world. I am the sole breadwinner for my family and we are making significant sacrifices so that I can continue to work as an educator.

But there is a point at which I will no longer be able to justify further sacrifices. Quite honestly, it was very difficult to absorb the pay cut that we were forced to take this year. Further cuts would most certainly push me back into the private sector. This is not a threat, but rather a sad reality. And I know I'm far from alone in this.

Furthermore, academia itself is highly competitive. While times are also tough elsewhere, it is highly likely that many of the top academics--even those not willing or able to return to the private sector--will still find greener pastures at other institutions. And also consider the long-term impacts. Salary cuts "poison the well" for existing faculty who may look elsewhere as soon as times are better. Perhaps worse, a record of salary cuts makes it very difficult to hire quality academics in the future.

I'm not writing in my capacity as an academic or in any way to plead for the preservation of my salary personally. I'm writing as a citizen of this state--a product of both Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. I am writing because I fear that the words attributed to you above reflect a misconception that could lead to significant damage to our university system. Salary cuts, even in the guise of additional furlough days, will most certainly impact the caliber of instructor that the university system is able to attract and retain. And this will undoubtedly damage this state for many years to come.

I greatly appreciate the exceedingly difficult decisions that you are faced with in attempting to balance a budget during this recession. And I fully understand the desire not to raise tuition or to increase the tax burden on your constituency. But I do hope that you will consider what I have written before asking the Board of Regents to make significantly higher cuts.

Sincerely,
Paul T. York