Now is the time to raise community faculty salaries

The ISEA is pushing the 2008 Iowa Legislature to make community college faculty salaries more competitive by raising the statewide average to 25th in the nation. According to data released by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the average salary for faculty at the two-year schools has dropped two notches -- from 30th to 32nd. That's down considerably from a high of 24th in the nation back in 1994.

The latest IPEDS Salary Survey data reveals that Iowa's faculty members earned, on average, $44,973 in 2005-06, the most recent year for which figures are available. That's $10,407 below the national average and $3,686 below the national median. What's more, our faculty salaries lag far behind several neighboring states including Wisconsin ($64,609), Illinois ($60,270), Minnesota ($57,686), and Missouri ($49,650). In fact, faculty salaries in Iowa have actually decreased by $1,700 -- or 4.9 percent -- when inflation in factored in.

The 2007 Iowa Legislature took an important first step toward reversing the trend when it earmarked $2 million -- or about $1,000 per instructor -- to raise salaries. But much more needs to be done. According to ISEA Research estimates, it will take $8 million to bring faculty salaries to 25th in the nation and $24.1 million to reach the national average. In addition, the ISEA will be pushing for $1 million to provide professional development opportunities.

• Click here to read our news release 
• State-by-state salary rankings 
• Rankings of two-year versus four-year institutions 
• Facts about community colleges 
• Top three reasons to raise faculty salaries 
• ISEA Legislative Conference flyer 
• March 5 Community College Lobby Day flyer-updated
• Organizing for grassroots support 
• Working with the news media 
• How to organize a community or legislative forum 
• How to communicate with legislators 
• We're Worth It! powerpoint presentation