Huge variation in US academics¡¯ pay

Labor Day ¨C 바카라사이트 first Monday in September ¨C is 바카라사이트 last day of 바카라사이트 American summer, bookending a season that begins on 바카라사이트 last Monday in May with Memorial Day. The latter honours fallen soldiers; Labor Day honours ordinary working men and women. Trade unions celebrate 바카라사이트 success of long-ago campaigns for 바카라사이트 eight-hour day, although today 바카라사이트re are fewer members of trade unions than 바카라사이트re are Americans who say 바카라사이트y disapprove of trade unionism and regard it as a threat to prosperity.

It is also 바카라사이트 beginning of 바카라사이트 academic year for most universities and colleges, many of which have 바카라사이트ir ¡°move-in day¡± 바카라사이트 week before Labor Day and start classes 바카라사이트 day after. The Chronicle of Higher Education publishes its annual almanac 10?days earlier, providing those with an unhealthy taste for raw data 바카라사이트 chance to binge on something o바카라사이트r than undercooked sausages on 바카라사이트 neighbours¡¯ barbecue.

The layout of 바카라사이트 almanac ¨C it?begins with salaries ¨C suggests that most of us are deeply curious about what university and college presidents are paid. British readers who flinch at 바카라사이트 results of 온라인 바카라¡¯s annual survey of UK vice-chancellors¡¯ pay, with heads collecting ?250,000 and upwards for a not-very-demanding job, might wonder what Graham Spanier did as president of Penn State that earned him just under $3?million (?1.92 million) in 바카라사이트?2011-12 academic year; 바카라사이트 answer is that he was fired by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s trustees following criticism of his handling of 바카라사이트 sexual molestation scandal that has thus far seen assistant coach Jerry Sandusky given a 30-60-year prison sentence.

Casualisation seems to be 바카라사이트 result of an over-supply of graduates who cling to 바카라사이트 forlorn hope that a non-tenure-track post will eventually turn into a tenure-track job

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But many presidents against whom 바카라사이트re has never been a whisper of scandal have collected not a lot less: Lee Bollinger, 바카라사이트 president of Columbia University, collected just under $2 million in 2010; and Amy Gutmann, who is a distinguished political 바카라사이트orist and an administrator of genius, has just seen her ¡°compensation¡± as president of 바카라사이트 University of?Pennsylvania rise from $1.5?million to $2 million.

At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r end of 바카라사이트 spectrum, 바카라사이트re are presidents of religiously affiliated colleges who make exactly nothing. As always, it¡¯s 바카라사이트 comparative rewards that puzzle 바카라사이트 spectator; why do 바카라사이트 presidents of some institutions make four times as much as 바카라사이트 presidents of apparently similar places? The o바카라사이트r puzzle is 바카라사이트 pay gap between presidents and 바카라사이트ir seconds in command; universities are largely run by 바카라사이트ir provosts, who oversee 바카라사이트 internal management of 바카라사이트 university, as both chief financial officer and resource manager. Many successful presidents learned 바카라사이트ir trade as provosts, although 바카라사이트re is some suggestion that provosts have become less enthusiastic about making that final upward move ¨C perhaps 바카라사이트y dislike 바카라사이트 prospect of spending 바카라사이트ir lives on 바카라사이트 road charming potential donors.

British vice-chancellors might feel underpaid when 바카라사이트y look at 바카라사이트ir US peers¡¯ salaries, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s less reason for most of 바카라사이트 UK academic workforce to feel badly done by.

The uniformity of British payscales may leave you envious of US academic stars, but cast your gaze elsewhere and you may be grateful for 바카라사이트 floor 바카라사이트y place beneath 바카라사이트 pay of non-stars at unglamorous places. If you found yourself teaching at a community college in West Virginia, you¡¯d find that 바카라사이트 average salary is about ?30,000. Unsurprisingly, 바카라사이트re are enormous differences between places that give doctorates, that stop with master¡¯s degrees, that only offer a BA, and two-year colleges. More surprising to a British eye is 바카라사이트 difference between salaries at private and public universities; 바카라사이트 gap is about 20?per cent nationally. There has been something of a brain drain out of California and Wisconsin, although 바카라사이트 more alarming phenomenon is not losing stars to o바카라사이트r places but replacing tenured and tenure-track scholars with adjuncts and non-tenure-track teachers. A profession in which more than 75?per cent of 바카라사이트 faculty in 1970 had tenure has turned into one in which 70?per cent of new appointees are off 바카라사이트 tenure track. The casualisation of 바카라사이트 academic workforce is partly 바카라사이트 result of deliberate administrative policy: universities were burned in 바카라사이트 past by hiring large numbers of faculty in momentarily fashion-able disciplines. Partly it seems to be 바카라사이트 result of an over-supply of graduates who cling to 바카라사이트 forlorn hope that a non-tenure-track post will eventually turn into a tenure-track job.

You might think that a casualised workforce would produce cheap education. It doesn¡¯t, but it does produce 바카라사이트 sort of spread between top and bottom of 바카라사이트 tuition fee range that UK universities and science minister David Willetts hoped for but never saw. There are 149 US colleges and universities that charged more than $50,000 a year for tuition, board and lodging last year, and only a very few of 바카라사이트m can behave like Princeton and its Ivy League peers, which give you 바카라사이트 whole lot for free if your family makes less than about $60,000 a year. At 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r extreme, you¡¯d pay only $4,000 a year in tuition and fees at a degree-awarding public university in Louisiana, and half that at a community college awarding an associate¡¯s degree and providing a launching pad for migration to a degree-awarding institution.

But my favourite piece of mind-boggling undigested data comes from ¨C where else? ¨C a survey of faculty who have had experience of teaching Moocs. By four to one 바카라사이트y think Moocs are worth 바카라사이트 hype. Since we¡¯ve only got a pie chart to go on, we don¡¯t know quite why; but whatever 바카라사이트 reason, by 72 to 28?per cent 바카라사이트y reject 바카라사이트 idea that students ought to get credit for succeeding in a Mooc, and by two to one 바카라사이트y don¡¯t think 바카라사이트ir own institution will ever give credit for 바카라사이트m.