To the editor:

On Tuesday, January 13, you reported that Chancellor Girod announced “market pay” raises for KU’s nonacademic employees. I applaud pay raises, but Girod’s idea of market pay is laughable. The 1% raise he announced pales compared to the current inflation rate: 2.7%. And even that raise does not apply to KU’s 1,600 academics, who fall farther below the rising cost of living every year. Consider my case. I have taught at KU for 38 years, but when adjusted for inflation, my salary has fallen for the past 18 years. Recall that Girod got a 12.5% raise this year — a $105,000 hike, bringing him to over $1 million. The CFO got a 14% raise. And the administration claims in bargaining with our academic union — United Academics of KU — that they can’t afford to keep our pay level up with inflation. “Market pay,” indeed. Talented faculty leave, and students and the Kansas economy suffer when KU refuses to invest in education and educators.

Margaret Bayer,

Lawrence