Thirty Eastern Michigan University faculty members — including two former administrators and one emeritus faculty member — encompass the top 50 highest-paid employees at the university.
As reported in the April 4 edition of The Eastern Echo, former provost and current social work professor Donald Loppnow earned $267,506.58 in 2010, making him the third top earner overall, and the highest paid faculty member.
The second top earner, marketing Professor Matthew Sauber, earned $185,152.85 in 2010; health sciences Professor Stephen Sonstein received $177,844.58; former interim dean of the College of Education Michael Bretting garnered $177,840; and computer information systems Professor Nesa Wu received $172,500.81.
Even so, accounting professor Howard Bunsis said EMU faculty members are not paid in the same realm of comparable universities.
“In terms of salary, I think we’ve demonstrated that our salaries are below our peer institutions,” he said. “That’s certainly the case today.”
Information compiled by the Higher Education Institutional Data Inventory shows for 2009-10, EMU had 1,067 full-time professors and the average amount faculty received in compensation at EMU was $84,730. At a comparable institution such as Central Michigan University, on average, faculty earned $77,023 and at Ferris State University, on average faculty received $87,676.
Chief Financial Officer John Lumm said faculty-and-staff pay and benefits account for a large percentage of the operating budget.
“If you look at our operating budget, it’s about $281 million,” he said. “About $190 million is pay and benefits for all personnel.”
Lumm said this amounts to almost 68 percent of the budget.
The amount hasn’t changed much over the years, Lumm said.
“It’s been relatively stable,” he said. “I would say it has probably decreased slightly because we’ve been investing heavily in Financial Aid.”
In a March 28 e-mail to the campus community, Pres. Martin said as the university begins to plan for Fiscal Year 2012, the future ahead might be difficult and “cause some pain.” Martin then reiterated the fact.
“I think it will be very painful,” she said. “We’ve tried to keep tuition low and we’re probably going to have to have some type of increase. … It will impair some things like financial aid increases.”
Bunsis said he firmly believes EMU’s budget is balanced.
“As I stated, Eastern Michigan does not have a budget problem,” he said. “Eastern Michigan has a priority problem.”
Lumm said the proposed budget cuts will be a “challenge” to the university and it is still uncertain how it will affect faculty and staff pay, or if those individuals would be asked to take a pay cut.
“It’s way too early at this point to say we know what the solution is,” he said. “That’s really beyond my scope.”
Pres. Martin said a certain protocol would have to take place before anything like that would come about.
“The faculty are under contract, so there would have to be an agreement made,” she said.
Senior Courtney Braxton said she is sometimes “lost” and “confused” when it comes to the controversy regarding faculty and administration compensation.
“If I am pursuing a career at any institution, I expect to be able to receive annual increases in my pay,” she said. “But, if I am taking your class and you are requiring me to purchase your $100 textbook or course pack and you are driving around in a Lexus or BMW and you are traveling all over the world, I frankly do not care to hear their opinion.”
“I know that is not the case for all professors and instructors, but I find my peers struggling to pay for 3 credit, $1000 classes,” Braxton said.
EMU graduate Taylor Brown echoed the fact that not all EMU professors and instructors are paid well.
“I have never heard a professor complain about their income, but I did have an adjunct leave because she could make more as a waitress,” Brown said.
President Martin said despite it all, education has and will always remain first at EMU and she believes it has been demonstrated by the recent renovations around campus to improve the education experience for EMU students and in other ways as well.
Bunsis said he doesn’t believe EMU administration has lived up to the university’s motto of “Education First.”
“I don’t believe EMU administration has been true to the academic mission,” he said. “It’s been proven time and time again.”
Associate Professor Jessica Alexander said although there is inequity across the board, she’s focused on what she believes is the bigger picture.
“My issues and frustrations focus less on administrator pay — many of them make the same as faculty or less pending on their department and position — but on both public and elected officials lack of comprehension on the amount, time, intensity of work at a publically supported, teaching focused university such as EMU,” Alexander said.
Alexander said she believes a number of faculty and administrators work relentlessly for EMU and its students.
“Unique perhaps, but many of us do not simply work for a discipline or a subject, but for the university and what and who EMU stands for,” she said.
