AAUP salary study finds UNLV faculty salaries decline

The American Association of University Professors has released its annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession. It finds a a national trend of academic salaries stagnant (a gain of 1.2% offset by unpaid furloughs in many states, including Nevada) while total faculty compensation, including health and retirements benefits, declined.

Overall, it finds evidence of "fiscal stringency" and "scrimping" in higher education, nationally.

At UNLV, the report finds that average faculty salaries in most categories -- calculated on base pay, thus not including the unpaid furloughs of 4.6% or increases in health care premiums, actually declined from 2009 to 2010. Only the average pay at the level of Assistant Professor increased marginally, but this increase will be more than offset by the 4.6% furlough.

Overall, the compensation for UNLV faculty remained in the middle rank -- considering pay and benefits together, UNLV faculty at all ranks are in the 3rd quintile (ie between 41 and 60 percentiles); that is, our compensation falls below between 2/5 and 3/5 of universities nationally.