You get yours, I'll get mine: A policy analysis of faculty salaries for the professorate in Oklahoma

Abstract

The authors demonstrate the importance of faculty salary remuneration as it reflects Oklahoma's commitment to higher education. The state has a history of poor compensation for faculty in general and institutions have wide variation in salaries within their own walls. The problem is exacerbated further by the discrepancies between salaries of faculty members at comparable institutions doing similar work despite the departments where they may be located. There are differences between the state's public flagship universities (i.e., the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University) and the smaller "regional" universities that are ostensibly designed to serve students primarily in more rural and accessible settings. The authors have limited their analysis to 'regional' universities in the state in order to provide a concise and parsimonious presentation and to compare institutions with similar missions. Finally, the authors will analyze higher education as it is presented locally and nationally by University administrators. The authors ask the rhetorical question: Are data sets presented to public policy makers truly reflective of the reality faced by the affected professorate? The authors conclude that the answer is 'to." This paper is important for administrators, faculty and potential faculty who may want to give further consideration to the higher education employment situation in Oklahoma.