Faculty at Western Kentucky University Cite Low Pay, Lack of Transparency as Factors in Declining Morale

Bowling Green, KY –

There increasing concerns are being raised by faculty members at Western Kentucky University (WKU), who point to low pay and a lack of administrative transparency as significant factors contributing to declining morale. Furthermore, over the past six consecutive years, the annual faculty work-life survey results have found morale to be “very poor” among faculty.

Work Life Survey Results 2024

Last week, the WKU Faculty Senate’s Faculty Welfare and Professional Responsibility committee released a summary of the 2024 Faculty Work-Life survey. The survey broadly included topics such as compensation, budget, and administrative transparency. A total of 182 faculty members responded to the survey, and a staggering 77% of respondents reported faculty morale as either “very poor” or “poor”.

Compensation and Raises

According to the summary of the survey, faculty responders were primarily concerned about compensation and raises. Three main concerns were identified regarding compensation; these included the need for increased faculty salaries to keep up with inflation and be more competitive, the problem of salary compression and pay equity, and the desire for meaningful annual raises and merit-based pay increases.

Transparency Issues

Faculty also cited issues with transparency, expressing dissatisfaction with the university’s decision-making processes. When asked whether they agreed with the statement that “university decision making is transparent” on a scale of one to five, the average score was a mere 1.99.

Budget Concerns

Adding to faculty concerns is the institution’s budget, with many expressing a lack of confidence in the university’s Resource Allocation Management Program (RAMP) – a budget model that WKU uses to allocate resources from central administration to the various colleges. When asked about their confidence in the RAMP budget model allocating university resources fairly and transparently, the average scores were 1.89 and 1.96, respectively.

Administrative Raises

Additionally, faculty members have raised questions over the percentage of salary increases for various administrative positions. Many faculty members have voiced concerns that these raises seem to be much higher compared to what the faculty has received. At the same time, some departments are grappling with internal issues causing salary compression and equity disparities.

The Way Forward and Hope for Improved Morale

In response to these concerns, all faculty and staff at WKU will now be required to undertake Title IX training. This step was widely welcomed by the university community, as it marks a proactive approach to enhance the campus work-life environment.

About Western Kentucky University

Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It was founded in 1906 and offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs across a range of disciplines.