Explanation Of Statistical Data

Instructional Faculty. The instructional faculty is defined as all those members of the instructional-research staff who are employed full time, regardless of whether they are formally designated “faculty.” It includes all those whose major regular assignment (at least 50 percent) is instruction, including release time for research. Medical school faculty members are excluded from the tabulations. Faculty members on sabbatical leave are counted at their regular salaries even though they may be receiving a reduced salary while on leave. Replacements for those on leave with pay are not counted; replacements for those on leave without pay are counted. All faculty members who have contracts for the full academic year are included, regardless of whether their status is considered “permanent.” Institutions are asked to exclude (a) instructional faculty members who are not employed on a full-time basis; (b) instructional faculty members whose services are valued by bookkeeping entries rather than by full cash transactions unless their salaries are determined by the same principles as those who do not donate their services; (c) instructional faculty members who are in military organizations and are paid on a different scale from civilian employees; (d) administrative officers with titles such as dean of instruction, academic dean, associate or assistant dean, librarian, registrar, coach, or the like, even though they may devote part of their time to classroom instruction; and (e) graduate or undergraduate students who assist in the instruction of courses, but who have titles such as teaching assistant, teaching associate, or teaching fellow.

Salary. This figure represents the contracted salary excluding summer teaching, stipends, extra load, or other forms of remuneration. Department heads with faculty rank and no other administrative title are reported at their instructional salary (that is, excluding administrative stipends). Where faculty members are given duties for eleven or twelve months, salary is converted to a standard academic-year basis by applying a factor of 9/11 (81.8 percent) or by the institution’s own factor, reflected in a footnote to the appendix tables of this report.

Benefits. Benefit amounts tabulated here represent the institution (or state) contribution on behalf of the individual faculty member; the amount does not include the employee contribution. The major benefits include (a) retirement contribution, regardless of the plan’s vesting provision; (b) medical insurance; (c) disability income protection; (d) tuition for faculty dependents (both waivers and remissions are included); (e) dental insurance; (f) social security (FICA); (g) unemployment insurance; (h) group life insurance; (i) workers’ compensation premiums; and (j) other benefits with cash alternatives (for the most part, these include benefits such as moving expenses, housing, and cafeteria plans or cash options to certain benefits). See also the footnote to tables 10A and 10B. 

Compensation. Compensation represents salary plus institutional contribution to benefits. It is best viewed as an approximate “cost” figure for the institution, rather than an amount received by the faculty member.

Institutional Categories (updated in 2009–10)

Category I (Doctoral). Institutions characterized by a significant level and breadth of activity in doctoral-level education as measured by the number of doctorate recipients and the diversity in doctoral-level program offerings. Institutions in this category grant a minimum of thirty doctoral-level degrees annually, from at least three distinct programs. (Awards previously categorized as first-professional degrees, such as the JD, MD, and DD, do not count as doctorates for this classification. Awards in the new category of “doctor’s degree–professional practice” are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.)

Category IIA (Master’s). Institutions characterized by diverse postbaccalaureate programs (including first professional) but not engaged in significant doctoral-level education. Institutions in this category grant a minimum of fifty postbaccalaureate degrees annually, from at least three distinct programs. Awards of postbaccalaureate certificates are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Category IIB (Baccalaureate). Institutions characterized by their primary emphasis on undergraduate baccalaureate-level education. Institutions in this category grant a minimum of fifty bachelor’s degrees annually, from at least three distinct programs, and bachelor’s and higher degrees comprise at least 50 percent of total degrees awarded.

Category III (Associate’s with Academic Ranks). Institutions characterized by a significant emphasis on undergraduate associate’s degree education. Institutions in this category grant a minimum of fifty associate’s degrees annually. Associate’s degrees comprise at least 50 percent, and bachelor’s and higher degrees comprise less than 50 percent, of total degrees and certificates awarded.

Category IV (Associate’s without Academic Ranks). These institutions meet the criteria for category III but do not utilize standard academic ranks. An institution that refers to all faculty members as “instructors” or “professors” but does not distinguish among them on the basis of standard ranks should be included in this category. However, if an institution utilizes another ranking scheme that is analogous to the standard ranks, it can be included in category I, II, or III as appropriate.

Definition of Data Presented in Appendices I and II

Academic Ranks: PR=Professor; AO=Associate Professor; AI=Assistant Professor; IN=Instructor; AR=All Ranks. All institutions that do not assign professorial ranks are listed in appendix II of this report.

Col. (1) Institutional Category—The definition of categories is given above.

Col. (2) Ratings of Average Salary—Each rating represents the percentile interval in which the institution’s average salary in a given rank lies (1*=95th percentile or above; 1=80th to 94.9th percentile; and the like). An average salary lower than the twentieth percentile is rated 5. The ratings have been assigned using the actual average salary, which is then rounded to the nearest hundred for publication in Col. (3).

Col. (3) Average Salary by Rank and for All Ranks Combined—This figure has been rounded to the nearest hundred. “All Ranks Combined” includes the rank of lecturer and the category of “No Rank.” Salary and compensation averages are replaced by dashes (----) when the number of individuals in a given rank is fewer than three.

Col. (4) Rating of Average Compensation—Same definition as that given for Col. (2) but for compensation (see definition above).

Col. (5) Average Compensation by Rank and for All Ranks Combined—Same definition as that given for Col. (3) but for compensation.

Col. (6) Benefits as a Percent of Average Salary—Total benefits as a percent of average salary for all ranks combined.

Col. (7) Percent of Faculty with Tenure—This figure represents the percent of faculty members tenured within a given rank. A zero indicates tenured faculty are less than 0.5 percent of that rank.

Col. (8) Percentage Increase in Salary for Continuing Faculty—The percentage increase in salary for faculty members remaining at the institution in 2011–12 from the previous year. This represents the average increase for individuals as opposed to a percentage change in average salary levels.

Col. (9) Number of Faculty Members by Rank and Gender—This number represents the total number of full-time (FT) faculty members in a given rank.

Col. (10) Average Salary by Rank and by Gender—See the definition for Col. (3).

Institutional Footnotes

Institutional footnote numbers are given in the appendix tables between the name of the institution and its category. The footnotes for both appendix I (institutions with academic ranks) and appendix II (institutions without ranks) are listed at the end of appendix II. Footnotes identify specific professional schools or programs (law, dentistry, nursing, engineering, or business) included in the faculty salary and compensation tabulations for each institution. Respondents were asked to self-identify their schools or programs, based on the type of institution, as follows: for a university, they were to include only those organized as separate schools, colleges, or divisions; for smaller institutions, they were to identify programs that are degree granting and employ a substantial number of faculty. Medical school faculty members are excluded from the tabulations.

Any inquiries concerning the data in this report may be directed to AAUP Research Office. E-mail: [email protected].