» UW System turnover:
8% of faculty left last fiscal year
Faculty turnover across the University of Wisconsin System averaged 8% last fiscal year — up from an average 5.9% over the preceding five years.
Faculty turnover across the University of Wisconsin System averaged 8% last fiscal year — up from an average 5.9% over the preceding five years, according to a report released Monday.
Loss of probationary faculty on track to earn tenure — including socalled young, rising stars — was especially noteworthy. An average 9% of tenure-track faculty left in fiscal 2016, compared with an average 6.5% over the preceding five years. Among faculty who already have tenure, the average turnover was 7.6%, up from an average 5.7% over the previous five years.
Faculty turnover is one factor behind a new proposal to give all UW employees a 2% pay increase each of the next two years. The UW System Board of Regents will discuss during a meeting Thursday in Madison whether to ask the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Employee Relations for 2% pay plan increases for all UW System employees, including faculty, for fiscal 2017-’18 and fiscal 2018-’19.
No tuition dollars would be used, the UW System noted. The cost over the biennium of $70 million would come from the state’s compensation reserve.
All UW System employees have seen their wages fall over the last six years, according to UW officials. First came furloughs without pay in 2009-’10 and 2010-’11, then take-home pay was cut because UW employees — like other state employees — were required to cover a larger share of their health insurance premiums and to contribute to their pensions, starting in 2011-’12.
After two years of 1% pay increases in 2013-’14 and 2014-’15, and two more years of flat pay, UW System employees are an average 11.64% behind their peers, according to the UW System’s own analysis.
Comparatively, other public universities steadily increased employee pay at the rate of inflation or better annually, averaging 2% increases each year, the UW System argues. The gradual disparity has led to a wide pay gap between UW System campuses and their competitors, UW System officials say.
Faculty turnover by individual UW institution between July 1, 2015, and July 1, 2016, ranged from 5.3% at UW-Madison to 13.3% at UW-Superior. Both resignations and retirements are included in the turnover numbers.
UW-Madison, for example, had 112 of its 2,128 faculty leave during that time frame — 65 retired and 43 resigned. UW-Milwaukee lost 60 (7.45%) of its 805 faculty members — 29 retired and 28 resigned.
Four UW campuses, in addition to UW-Superior, turned over more than 10% of their faculty last year: UW-Eau Claire (11.2%), UW-Stevens Point (11.8%), UW-Green Bay (12.2%) and UWStout (12.7%).
UW-Madison was the only campus with a faculty turnover rate below 6%. The remaining campuses saw between 7% and 10% of their faculty leave.
“UW institutions compete nationally and internationally to attract the most talented faculty and staff,” said UW System spokeswoman Stephanie Marquis. “We have continued to make ourselves more efficient and streamlined, and are focused on meeting the needs of Wisconsin now and in the future. All UW System employees are important to the success of the 180,000 students that choose to attend a UW institution each year. It’s time to reinvest in our workforce so we can recruit and retain the best faculty and staff for our students and remain a world-renowned system.”
The UW System’s state funding has been cut $362 million since fiscal 2012.