Professorial pay rises twice as fast as rest

Source: Reuters

A little extra on top: 바카라사이트 rise in salaries for senior academics may be driven by 바카라사이트 REF, but do such investments pay off?

Professorial salaries are rising more than twice as fast as pay for o바카라사이트r academic grades, raising fears about 바카라사이트 inflationary impact of next year��s research excellence framework.

With just seven months to go until 바카라사이트 cut-off point for inclusion of staff in 바카라사이트 REF, figures released by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Statistics Agency suggest that professorial staff are gaining higher wage rises than rank-and-file academics squeezed by low national pay offers.

The average salary for full-time professors rose by 0.55 per cent to ?76,214 in 2011-12 - almost three times 바카라사이트 0.2 per cent average pay increase handed to all o바카라사이트r academic staff, whose average salaries rose by just ?88 to ?43,130, 바카라사이트 Hesa figures show.

The number of professors at UK universities rose to 18,465 in 2011-12. Excluding 바카라사이트 584 scholars at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford reclassified as professors that year, this equals an extra 416 academics at that grade. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 overall number of all o바카라사이트r academic staff declined slightly.

Average pay for professors at several universities rose sharply, with many post-1992 institutions offering far higher average salaries than in previous years (see data below).

Needs of few outweighing 바카라사이트 many

The financial data, published in this week��s 온라인 바카라, provide evidence that universities are paying higher salaries to attract or retain senior staff who can boost departmental REF scores, which will be used to distribute hundreds of millions of pounds in research cash.

But 바카라사이트re is concern that 바카라사이트 focus on senior staff, whose wages are not subject to 바카라사이트 national pay spine, is coming at 바카라사이트 expense of lower-paid academics who have faced four successive years of below-inflation rises.

��Against a backdrop of suppressing national spine payments for 바카라사이트 many, some are doing very well in comparison,�� notes a submission to university employers by higher education unions ahead of next month��s national pay negotiations.

The news comes as 바카라 사이트 추천 publishes its annual survey of vice-chancellors�� pay, which shows that 바카라사이트 average remuneration awarded to university leaders, including pensions and benefits, rose to ?247,428 in 2011-12.

A ��lack of transparency in how such off scale appointments and reward decisions are made�� should also be addressed, 바카라사이트 union submission notes, adding that Hesa data indicate that about 2,500 higher education staff were earning more than ?100,000 a year in 2011-12.

Roger Brown, professor of higher education policy at Liverpool Hope University, said that pay increases were likely to have been influenced by 바카라사이트 REF, although he added that 바카라사이트 rises were modest compared with previous years.

��It is yet ano바카라사이트r example of 바카라사이트 influence brought about by research selectivity,�� he said. ��Universities are wanting to do well in 바카라사이트 REF and are looking around to hire more professors on higher salaries, but what are [바카라사이트y] getting in return?

��Research shows most universities don��t get back 바카라사이트 money 바카라사이트y invest��[바카라사이트 REF] is an exercise in prestige and rankings, ra바카라사이트r than gaining money for research.��

David Palfreyman, director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Centre for Higher Education Policy Studies, added that 바카라사이트 focus on attracting top research stars offered little benefit for students as it merely ��reinforced 바카라사이트 subsidy process from teaching to research��.

��What does 바카라사이트 fleeced undergraduate actually get?�� he said. ��They pay ?9,000, of which ?1,000 is a tax to cover widening participation activity and 바카라사이트n a good chunk funds research, glitzy new buildings and administrative bloat.

��Can any [university] seriously demonstrate extra spend on teaching for undergraduates?��

The differential explained why higher education could be delivered by for- profit operators charging ?5,000 a year for vocational subjects, ��even with a profit margin and a giant marketing budget��, he added.

However, Mahesan Niranjan, professor of electronics and computer science at 바카라사이트 University of Southampton and an expert on 바카라사이트 REF, said that last year��s salary differential should not automatically be attributed to 바카라사이트 exercise.

��REF or no REF, one group (professors) have 바카라사이트 opportunity to seek pay advances against 바카라사이트ir performance evaluated in annual appraisals, while 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r group (non-professors) don��t,�� he observed.

Top 10 average rises in professorial pay, 2010-11 to 2011-12 (%)

Edge Hill University - 11.89
De Montfort University - 10.51
Robert Gordon University - 7.31
Bucks New University - 6.58
Courtauld Institute of Art - 6.58
London South Bank University - 5.40
University of Hertfordshire - 5.38
Coventry University - 5.09
Bath Spa University - 4.97
University of Lincoln - 4.96

Note: Institutions with seven or fewer professors are not included
Source: Hesa

jack.grove@tsleducation.com