The Humanities building, once a representation of avant-garde design and grand-scale creativity and optimism, has become the embodiment of the subject area it houses. The liberal arts disciplines, like the Humanities building itself, have been under-funded and slowly deteriorating at UW-Madison for many years. As the science and engineering departments add more and more facilities, churn out greater and greater discoveries and watch their faculty receive unparalleled funds, the humanities department falls deeper and deeper into the shadow of its peer subject areas.
ccording to a Wisconsin State Journal analysis, full-time humanities faculty made 25 percent less than faculty in other areas - translating to around a $30,000 differential in salary. Although the humanities departments have received the same percentage of the budget from the College of Letters and Science in the past decade, the amount of federal funding and grants pales in comparison to other departments on the west side of campus.
These salary gaps are partially to blame for the recent exodus of humanities professors, TAs and graduate students. The English department lost 10 professors in the last two years and UW-Madison ranks in the lowest third in comparison to peer universities for teaching assistant salaries. While UW-Madison's science departments can offset low salaries with extra grant money, the liberal arts departments lose out on top graduate students to greater-funded universities.
Although it is unfortunate the liberal arts disciplines are not receiving as substantial funding, federal grants or faculty salaries as the major science departments, university administrators are being realistic about contribution-based funding. The scientific and engineering disciplines simply offer more tangible and applicable products and ideas to the world, making a stronger case to deserve the increased funds and grants.
The humanities department, while underfunded, must be realistic about its place in the current academic landscape. Just because federal funding and grants for the humanities are few and far between does not make liberal arts a dying breed. Changing technological and need-based scientific issues demands greater funding, and the study of humanities must take a back seat. If anything, the selection of Chancellor Biddy Martin may provide some much-needed aid to professors' salaries in the liberal arts, an area where Martin has an extensive background. Her promise to immediately tackle teacher salaries and raise tuition may alleviate the sense of inadequacy currently resonating in the liberal arts at UW-Madison.
For now, the humanities departments may have to be patient and hope Biddy Martin honors a commitment to ensure the university is strong across all disciplines. Besides that, the humanities departments simply have to accept their place within the result-based world of university funding and grants.
