The Swarthmore AAUP chapter strongly supports the document that was produced by the Faculty Compensation Committee and that was signed by the Provost and the faculty members of the FCC and sent to the President regarding faculty compensation and salary. 

We strongly urge the President to adopt the FCC’s recommendations and immediately address the imbalance that was generated by the pandemic to ensure that the faculty is fairly and adequately compensated. The one-time payment proposed by the committee is a modest but fair and ethical way of recognizing the labor of the faculty, who stepped in without hesitation to respond (with time, energy, and emotional work) to the major challenges generated by the pandemic. Yet, we were rewarded by a significant cut in our “real earnings” when the college missed its stated target for faculty salaries during a year of high inflation. The proposed adjustment also has the advantage of being in line with the College’s long-term commitment to 102.5% of the average faculty salary of our peer institutions.  

Prolonging a fair adjustment in salaries by asking another group to work on the issue of compensation is unproductive and utterly demoralizing for the faculty.  

We call for adherence to the 102.5% standard now and in the future.  The FCC recommendation reinforces that standard by calling out the earlier failures to meet the target.  The standard keeps the College competitive in a transparent manner, thereby maintaining faculty morale.

Swarthmore Chapter of the American Association of University Professors