Faculty Salary Compression: A Model for Response

Abstract

This paper describes a process used by The University of Akron to address salary compression. The process allocates salary adjustment resources to disciplines based on relative salary ratios derived from benchmarks. Amounts earmarked for specific disciplines are then distributed to departments for allocation to individual faculty based on merit. The process also invokes concepts of fairness and equity, and includes a component distributed to productive faculty members based on rank and experience. Outcomes, challenges, and implications of the process are examined.

Keywords: salary, equity, compression, faculty, statistics

JEL Classification: C10,D63,I20,J30,K00,K31,M41,M50,M52