The latest faculty union survey shows support for the university’s salary and raise system, but salary equity remains the biggest concern among faculty.

David Radavich, English professor and president of Eastern’s chapter of the University Professionals of Illinois, said Wednesday that the university will have to increase its funding to improve on an average faculty salary that ranks lowest among state public universities.

Currently, the average faculty salary at Eastern is $51,300, more than $11,000 less than the state average of $62,500. However, Radavich said he doesn’t think the gap between Eastern’s average faculty salary and the state average is relevant, because it may compare Eastern to non-peer institutions like the University of Illinois and the University of Chicago rather than similar universities like Western Illinois University and Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.

While faculty want their salaries to improve, results of the latest UPI survey show 60 percent are content with the process for awarding raises.

The structure bases minimum salary on rank, years of service and degrees earned. Everyone on payroll gets a percentage raise every year, and other raises are awarded based on performance.

Approximately 150 of Eastern’s 600 faculty responded to the survey. A general survey last month that elicited close to 100 responses named salary as the faculty’s No. 1 concern.

In light of that discrepancy and impending state budget cuts, the question becomes, how to raise faculty salary within the same structure and with a shrinking budget?

“People are happy with the way the salary package is structured,” Radavich said, explaining that addressing faculty concerns about actual pay is “a matter of increasing the overall salary pool, which means basically getting more funding.”

Budget cuts are a factor, Radavich said, but at present it’s difficult to say how they will impact salary.

Radavich named three ways the university can get more money for faculty salaries. One is by lobbying the legislature, a more difficult task now that the state economy is suffering.

The second method would be to boost enrollment. Retaining quality faculty helps Eastern attract and retain more students, Radavich said, which also helps the financial situation.

“In the past several years, it has been difficult to attract high quality faculty, and we had a number leave. That had a direct impact in students taking those classes or who might have taken them,” Radavich said.

“One of the best things we have to offer is a high quality faculty.”

The third piece involves soliciting private donations from local business and individuals, especially alumni.

The effort to increase salaries would impact all three branches.

“What we’re trying to do is make the whole pie larger,” Radavich said, explaining that a change in any one area would affect all others.

He said Eastern is making progress in bringing faculty pay up to par, and were it not for the economic downturn, might have met averages in two or three years.