UW system President Kevin Reilly presented his new initiative to improve faculty compensation at a Board of Regents meeting Thursday.
Reilly said UW System staff salaries and benefits lag behind those of their peers more now than before the recession hit.
Consequently, Reilly is forming a commission to take a closer look at compensation issues. The Competitive Workforce Commission will identify problem areas and recommend actions to help close the gap.
Some regents questioned the need for the commission, saying sufficient information is already available to address these issues. In response, Reilly said that it will perform a more detailed analysis of existing data than previously done before.
UW System spokesperson David Giroux said the committee will examine factors like faculty ranking, campus type and academic field individually examine.
Reilly predicts it will highlight areas in which UW surpasses its peers while pinpointing areas in need of improvement.
According to Reilly, the Board will use the commission's conclusions to make a more convincing case to the state Legislature for more financing. Although only 25 percent of the UW System's operating budget comes from the state, Reilly stressed the importance of continuing to pressure the government for increased funding in anticipation of a tough budget cycle.
Giroux said the UW System needs not only a larger money pool to pay faculty, but more administrative flexibility to use existing resources more efficiently.
The commission will be composed of labor market experts from the private sector who have experience addressing their own workforce needs. Giroux said he thinks the presence of outsiders on the committee will show UW's commitment to an objective analysis and positively influence the Legislature's response to the conclusions.
""This is not the university speaking for its own sake,"" Giroux said. ""This will be the voice of some impressive business leaders from around the state who hopefully have some credibility in this area.""
The Board also discussed its long-term goals of increasing graduation and diversity rates at the universities.
The meeting will continue Friday in Van Hise Hall and is open to the public.
