UO Salary Offer and AAU Comparators
The UO salary offer seeks to balance investment in faculty compensation with the realities of the university's financial position. We take pride in being among the premier institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU); however, it is important to note distinct differences exist between the financial position of our institution and that of the other members.
The UO’s financial position is not nearly as strong as that of other AAU institutions: we have far lower than average revenue, receive less state funding, invest significantly more in benefits, and have a higher dependency on student enrollment and tuition. The university has a constrained revenue model in a very competitive market. Increases in faculty salary must be planned within the limits of our financial position.
The following financial factors must be considered when committing to salary increases [data from the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) provided below]:
- The UO receives far less state support each year ($86.4 million) than the average AAU institution ($416.2 million). See graph #1
- The UO is much smaller than the average AAU institution (22,373 students vs. 40,984 students), which does not afford it the same scale economies related to overhead expenses. See graph #2
- The UO receives millions of dollars less in revenue annually than the AAU average when looking at both net tuition and fees and state funding on a per-student basis ($4,689 less per student). This equates to $104.9 million less funding per year than the AAU average. See graph #3
- The UO invests more in employee benefits than any other public AAU institution in the country as measured on a percentage of salary basis. These state-mandated contributions provide valuable benefits to UO employees but also impact the financial structure of the university as 80 percent of our Education and General (E&G) Fund budget is invested in compensation and benefits for employees. See graph #4
- The UO is more reliant on tuition for funding and charges higher undergraduate tuition rates than the AAU public average. The UO relies primarily on tuition revenue for funding (77 percent of E&G Fund). Our current undergraduate tuition rates for resident and non-resident students are already high among AAU public institutions, and we risk pricing ourselves out of this highly competitive market if we increase tuition incautiously. To support all students and ensure affordability for low-income Oregonians, we must carefully consider any tuition rate increases required to balance the budget. Large increases to tuition rates may lead to decreases in enrollment, ultimately decreasing revenue.
This year, our E&G Fund budget is projected to run a $1.5 million deficit. In consideration of all of the factors affecting students and our financial position, the Board of Trustees recently approved a 3 percent tuition rate increase for incoming undergraduate students.
Next Steps in Bargaining
The university and UA bargaining teams will continue meeting through the spring quarter to negotiate terms for a successor contract. Updates are posted on the HR website following each session, including proposals and counterproposals exchanged between the bargaining teams.
We value our faculty, recognize the need to make financial investments, and remain committed to working with the UA bargaining team to identify solutions to shared interests.
Sincerely,
Karen Ford
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President
Chris Meade
Director of Employee and Labor Relations
