Faculty, staff to get 6.5 percent pay hike

University administrators unveiled a University budget proposal yesterday that would increase faculty and staff wages by about 6.5 percent for next fiscal year. The new budget guarantees professors raises of at least 2.5 percent over the 1993 U.S. cost of living index, a salary increase which is consistent with raises of recent years. For the current fiscal year, the salary increase was 2.8 percent greater than the cost of living increase, up from an average 2.2 percent over the previous three years. But some faculty members said they are not completely satisfied with the new salaries, although many realize that the elimination of state funding is largely responsible. "It's not great, but it's not horrible either," Faculty Senate Chairperson David Hildebrand said yesterday. "I feel a little disappointed, but resign that this was a legitimate response to a tough situation." In a budget presentation for faculty and staff yesterday, Provost Michael Aiken said that the poor economy has hurt the University, especially this year. "Given all these fiscal pressures, we will not be able to do what we have been able to do up to now," Aiken said. One of the new problems the University might have is the decreased ability to offer professors more money than peer universities. But the University's salaries for professors have grown more competitive with those at other institutions, according to data presented yesterday by Budget Director Stephen Golding. For fiscal year 1992, on average, professors' salaries at the University were in the 75th percentile relative to salaries of their colleagues at comparable schools. Salaries are of concern to the University because lower wages could deter potential faculty members from coming to the University.