Thread by @AAUP

Today, the AAUP released our Annual Report on the Economic Status of the Profession, 2022–23, which examines whether economic conditions in the academy have returned to “normal” after 3 years of pandemic.
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aaup.org/report/annual-…

The report finds that real average faculty salaries have declined sharply for 3 consecutive years, with a cumulative decrease of 7.5% from fall 2019 to fall 2022 after adjusting for inflation.
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In 2022-23, average full-time faculty salaries for women were 82.3% of those for men in 2022–23.
#GenderPayGap
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The pandemic had devastating effects on employment in US higher ed, which has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The greatest impact has been on contingent faculty who lack the protection of tenure & are more likely to be women & people of color.
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The proportion of appointments w/ tenure increased from fall 19 to fall 21, but a closer look reveals that the % of full-time faculty members w/ tenure increased over that period only because the # of contingent & tenure-track appointments decreased at a greater rate.
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State fiscal support for higher ed has largely returned to the levels of the 2008 Great Recession. Fiscal support varies widely between states, & it seems unlikely that all states will allocate funds for higher ed at adequate levels in the future.
#NewDealforHigherEd
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Meanwhile, from fall '19 through fall '22, median presidential salaries increased 9.6% in nominal terms while salaries for CFOs increased 12.7%.
#administrativebloat
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This report highlights our concerns about an increased reliance among US colleges & universities on faculty members holding contingent appointments that are ineligible for tenure, as well as graduate student employees who function as faculty members.
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The steep drop during the pandemic in the # of faculty serving on contingent appointments should remind us that the purpose of tenure is not only to protect #academicfreedom in teaching, research, & extramural activities but also to provide a degree of economic security...
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...that enables institutions to better attract & retain a talented & diverse faculty.

This report documents the severe impact of the pandemic on higher education. The academy continues to face increasing political & corporate intrusions, austerity measures, & attacks...
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...on knowledge & expertise.

These events, along with back-to-back years of soaring inflation, are shaping collective consciousness in US academe, as evidenced by 15 academic worker strikes in the US in 2022—the greatest number in at least twenty years.
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The AAUP will continue to advance #academicfreedom & #sharedgovernance, define fundamental professional values & promote the economic security of faculty & all academics engaged in teaching & research in higher education.
Join Us: aaup.org/membership/join

#DefendHigherEd
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