Ione Taylor, chair of the Academic Affairs committee of the Board of Trustees, just noted to the full board in their public meeting the need for improving faculty salaries to match our peers and competitors. She referred to this as ‘deferred people maintenance,’ naming it as a need equivalent to the deferred maintenance of our buildings and physical resources.
This represents a change in focus and in role compared to past Academic Affairs reports, and gains us a level of advocacy on the board that I have not previously seen. Ione is not alone in this. The other members of Academic Affairs have also made very encouraging statements.