Local Editorial

No one likes tuition increases. Tuition increases put a strain on the economy and also deter students from attending universities where tuition is increasing. While many methods of maintaining tuition at the University of Nebraska at both Lincoln and Kearney have been proposed, a slightly more radical approach has been suggested: cutting faculty salaries. The issue is still under review according to the University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken.

Cutting faculty salaries to maintain tuition rates is an example of a classic catch-22. One on hand, it is imperative to maintain tuition rates in order to keep up attendance rates at UNK. If tuition spikes at an increased rate, many will not be able to afford college at UNK, and thus the university will lose students and precious funds. However, cutting salaries for faculty members may make it difficult to attract high caliber faculty members. It seems that an unattractive decision must be made between losing numbers in the student body or losing the ability to attract high quality faculty members.

With such a conundrum, it seems the logical solution is to devise a sort of compromise. Though it may seem extreme to cut all faculty salaries, it may be an option to cut only salaries over a certain amount. For example, if only a portion of salaries were cut, it may be possible to maintain the college tuition rate without cutting salaries as a whole. In this situation, if only the salaries which compose the top third largest amounts were cut, the Universities could find a substantial amount added to their budget. This would solve the issue of avoiding tuition hikes while abstaining from cutting all faculty salaries. If only the top third were cut, the Universities would still have the ability to attract quality faculty, as starting rates would not make the category of the top third salaries, which were being affected by the cuts.

It may seem like a strange compromise, but cutting only a portion of salaries makes a certain sort of sense. With the economy in its current state, it is doubtful that existing faculty members will leave their secure jobs even in event of salary cuts. The Universities would also be able to attract new hires, as their salaries would not be affected. Though in most situations a compromise may not be an appropriate solution, this may be a situation in which a compromise is the best, and only, resolution.