In a recent address to members of the faculty, University of Wisconsin Interim Chancellor David Ward expressed support for pursuing a more competitive, merit-based wage structure with the aims of ensuring quality of instruction and retention.

Ward emphasized the importance of creating a merit-based pay plan with the aim to help enhance faculty and staff salaries, according to Faculty Senate member and University of Wisconsin chemistry professor Judith Burstyn.

She added the topic of wages appears to be a great priority for the chancellor despite the challenges presented by current budgetary constraints.

Vice Chancellor for University Relations Vince Sweeney echoed the sentiment, adding such an initiative could benefit the university by ensuring UW is attracting and retaining quality faculty members. He said these proposed salary changes could serve to benefit the university as a whole.

“Increased wages will help us stay competitive in the fight to keep the best and brightest faculty here at [UW],” Sweeney said. “It would be in the institution’s best interest to recruit and retain the best faculty.”

Speaking about Ward’s first term serving as chancellor from 1993-2001, Burstyn said Ward managed to keep a consistent and equivalent salary base for UW faculty in comparison to wages to its peer universities.

She added in the period between Ward’s terms of leadership, there were few to no salary raises for university employees and in some cases, salaries were decreased.

This is significant, Burstyn said, because university data shows the faculty turnover rate was much higher when wages were stagnant compared to when wages were more competitive, demonstrating the notion that some faculty members decided to pursue new employment opportunities at other institutions during these periods.

Burstyn also listed salary discrepancies as another cause for concern among UW employees when discussing Ward’s message of monetary allocation. She said the university must find a way to bridge the gap in its base budget.

“When we hire new faculty, we have no choice but to pay competitive salaries. When we make offers, they are always at competitive wages [and] often higher than wages of those who have been here a long time,” she said.

Burstyn added Ward appears “concerned about correcting these issues.”

In his address, Ward suggested ideas for reform including resource stewardship and educational innovation, Burstyn said. This would aim to reconsider how operations are managed and ask where money is being applied and if this is the best area for it, she added.

Ward also addressed the possibility for gain in the area of philanthropic reform and its potential to aid the base budget, saying salaries could then be increased using this funding.

Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, who chairs the Committee on Colleges and Universities, said Nass’s interests are with students first, but any money found internally should be used at the university’s discretion.

“Nass places a high priority on tuition costs for students, rather than pay [for faculty],” Mikalsen said.

Burstyn said she could not imagine another person to undertake this initiative, considering Ward’s resume.

“I can’t think of a better person to lead this initiative,” Burstyn said.