Eastern, like many other public higher education institutions, is losing ground concerning faculty salaries to its college peers nationwide.

Funding for those salaries will be discussed Tuesday at the IBHE meeting at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.

The annual study found the average faculty salary of $61,500 for public institutions in the financial calendar, Fiscal Year 2003, was at a five-year low when compared to other higher education groups’ median salaries.

The average salary was 94.7 percent that of the national average. The ability to remain competitive with other institutions across the country is critical to the quality of education.

The state launched a program in FY 2000 that lasted until FY 02 that provided money for public institutions to keep faculty. That monetary support resulted in the salary percentage relative to the nation average, to reach a high of 97.9 percent in FY 02.

After a year of budget deficits, the fear of remaining competitive lingers, especially at Eastern, which had the second lowest salary of the nine public higher education institutions.

“In recent years, Eastern made some progress with the salary level of faculty,” said Blair Lord, vice president for academic affairs. “We were moving forward to be closer to the peer group last year, but with no salary increase, it really hurt our competitive ability.”

Lord said public institutions will ask for more funding Tuesday.

The average faculty salary at Eastern is $54,600 for FY 03, only topping Northeastern Illinois University that has a median salary of $51,600. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is at the top of the salary scale with an average of $82,100.

The report will also compare fringe benefits between public and private institutions in Illinois. Private institutions receive $24,200 in benefits, while public institutions receive $14,800.

The IBHE acts as the liaison between higher education institutions and the Illinois General Assembly, and meets six or seven times a year.

Lord said the meetings frequently deal with budget developments. This meeting deals with non-budget issues since many of the institutions are still in early phases of the budgeting process, Lord said.

In other matters, the IBHE will:

Consider adding a seventh goal to the Illinois Commitment, the IBHE’s goals for higher education established in 1999, pertaining to its “contribution to society at large and civility and so forth,” said Dan Layzell, IBHE deputy director for planning and budget.

The Commitment was originally called the “Citizen’s Agenda.” Layzell said although the six current goals touch on contribution to the community, he would like to see a specific one added.

He said higher education institutions help out the community as a society with economic development and community involvement.

“People are going to see the need for, kind of this specific principle that speaks to higher education fostering citizenship and civility,” Layzell said. “We get to those in bits and pieces in the other six areas, but we need one that kind of ties it all together.”

Terminology revisions for the current six commitment goals will also be considered.

Look to approve $9.5 million in grant money. Lord said Eastern faculty had received money from this pool before, but will not receive any funds this year.

Review the status of the Illinois Articulation Initiative, which was designed to ease the transfer for students among Illinois colleges and universities, said Dan Sevener, the IBHE communications director.

The initiative identifies common courses among the higher education institutions in Illinois.The ability to accept transfer students, especially from community colleges, is very important because of the number that transfer to Eastern, Lord said.

“This allows us to be mapped with others across state,” Lord said.

Administration editor Tim Martin can be reached at noles_acc@yahoo.com