The university reinstituting the release of its faculty salary information is an example of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s ability to adapt. Syracuse University’s decision shows that it values transparency and community concerns.

The data collected by the American Association of University Professors from SU and other colleges is compiled into local and national reports. These reports break down the average salaries of faculty members across colleges on campus, and are also used on a national basis to compare compensation distribution of various universities.

There is value in releasing the faculty salary data. It’s an example of transparency on behalf of the university administration. Returning to the practice of revealing faculty salary is appropriate considering how widely discussed transparency was this past year.

The information released by the AAUP comes partially in the form of the Committee Z Report, a public record of the average faculty member’s salary in each college. For nearly 50 years SU has contributed to this report, but last year Syverud withheld the information due to legal concerns. The chancellor’s concerns were understandable, considering his previous experience as a law school dean, yet it still upset many who recognize the value of the information.

Syverud reinstating this policy to release salary information also shows that he can take other people’s thoughts into consideration and has the ability to adapt. After more than a year as chancellor, Syverud is now learning what practices best fit the university.

In addition to addressing concerns of transparency, the information also has a lot of power; this information provides a comprehensive source that students, faculty and third parties can look to when comparing SU to other academic institutions. This data could be useful for students to better understand university finances.

Making this information public also assists the SU community by giving them more concrete numbers to work off of when looking critically at university spending. And comparing SU faculty earnings to the other universities across the country helps to keep the SU salary competitive. Considering Syverud’s desire to improve SU’s academics, offering a competitive salary would likely help attract the best professors.

The Daily Orange Editorial Board strongly encourages SU to continue to release faculty salary information for future AAUP surveys. It’s right that the university has returned to this established norm.

Published on April 21, 2015 at 11:36 pm