Explanation of Statistical Data

Instructional Faculty. The instructional faculty is defined as those members of the instructional-research staff who are employed on a full-time basis and whose major regular assignment is instruction, including those with released time for research. Institutions are asked to exclude (a) instructional faculty who are employed to teach less than two semesters, three quarters, two trimesters, or two four-month sessions; (b) instructional faculty in preclinical and clinical medicine; (c) instructional faculty who are employed on a part-time basis; (d) administrative officers with titles such as dean of students, librarian, registrar, coach, and the like, even though they may devote part of their time to classroom instruction and may have faculty status; (e) undergraduate or graduate students who assist in the instruction of courses, but have titles such as teaching assistant, teaching fellow, and the like; (f) faculty on leave without pay; and (g) replacement for faculty on sabbatical leave.

Salary. This figure represents the contracted salary excluding summer teaching, stipends, extra load, or other forms of remuneration. 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 or 81.8 percent or by the official factor used in a publicly announced formula, which is reflected in a footnote to the appendix tables of this report.

Major Fringe Benefits. In general, the major fringe benefits include those where the institution (or state) makes a definite payment of a specified amount on behalf of and for the benefit of the individual faculty member. The major benefits include (a) social security (rate effective January 2001); (b) retirement contribution, regardless of the plan’s vesting provision; (c) medical insurance; (d) dental insurance; (e) group life insurance; (f) disability income protection; (g) unemployment compensation; (h) workers’ compensation; (i) tuition for faculty dependents (both waivers and remission are included); and (j) other benefits in kind with cash alternatives (for the most part, these include benefits such as moving expenses, housing, cafeteria plans or cash options to certain benefits, bonuses, and the like).

Compensation. Compensation represents salary plus major fringe benefits.

Rating of Average Salary and Average Compensation. The rating is based on the actual distribution of average salaries and/or average compensations for comparable institutions. For a definition of comparable institutions, see definition of categories and the explanation of ratings in column (2) (below).

Definition of Categories

Category I (Doctoral-Level Institutions). These are institutions characterized by a significant level and breadth of activity in and commitment to doctoral-level education as measured by the number of doctorate recipients and the diversity in doctoral-level program offerings. Included in this category are those institutions that grant a minimum of thirty doctoral-level degrees annually. These degrees must be granted in three or more unrelated disciplines.

Category IIA (Comprehensive Institutions). These institutions are characterized by diverse postbaccalaureate programs (including first professional), but do not engage in significant doctoral-level education. Specifically, this category includes institutions not considered specialized schools in which the number of doctoral-level degrees granted is fewer than thirty or in which fewer than three unrelated disciplines are offered. In addition, these institutions must grant a minimum of thirty postbaccalaureate degrees and either grant degrees in three or more postbaccalaureate programs or, alternatively, have an interdisciplinary program at the postbaccalaureate level.

Category IIB (General Baccalaureate). These institutions are characterized by their primary emphasis on general undergraduate baccalaureate-level education. These institutions are not significantly engaged in postbaccalaureate education. Included in this category are institutions that are not considered specialized and in which the number of postbaccalaureate degrees granted is fewer than thirty or in which fewer than three postbaccalaureate-level programs are offered and which either (a) grant baccalaureate degrees in three or more program areas, or (b) offer a baccalaureate program in interdisciplinary studies.

Category III (Two-Year Institutions with Academic Ranks). These institutions confer at least 75 percent of their degrees and awards for work below the bachelor’s degree.

Category IV (Institutions without Academic Ranks). The majority of these institutions are two-year colleges (see definition of Category III) that do not utilize academic ranks. This category also includes a few general baccalaureate institutions that do not use academic ranks. All Category IV institutions are listed in Appendix II of this report.

Definition of Data Presented in Appendices I and II

Col. (1) Institution’s 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 percentile to 94.9 percent; and the like). An average salary lower than the 20th 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. The All Ranks Combined includes the rank of lecturer and the category of No Rank.

Col. (4) Rating of Average Compensation.Same definition as that given for Col. (2) but for compensation which is salary plus major fringe benefits.

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 Percentage of Average Salary.This figure, which has been rounded to the nearest percentage, represents the overall fringe benefits as a percentage of average salary for all ranks combined.

Col. (7) Percentage of Tenured Faculty.This figure represents the percentage of faculty members tenured within a given rank.

Col. (8) Percentage Increase in Salary for Continuing Faculty.The percentage increase in salary shown here is that for faculty members remaining on staff in 2001–02. This increase is that for individuals as opposed to a percentage change in salary levels from previous year.

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

Col. (10) Average Salary by Rank and by Gender.Figures like those in Col. (3) have been rounded to the nearest hundred dollars and are not shown but replaced by dashes when the number of individuals in a given rank and/or gender is three or fewer.

Any inquiries concerning the data in this report may be directed to AAUP, Research Department, Attn: Salary Survey.