Salaries for faculty members at public colleges nationwide did not increase this year, while faculty members at private institutions experienced a 2-percent increase in pay, corresponding with current inflation rates, according to an annual survey conducted by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources published this week, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The study compiled data on salaries at 812 public and private four-year institutions for the 2010-2011 academic year. Assistant professors who began their jobs in 2010 and 2011 were the only group at public colleges to see a pay increase, while all faculty members at private institutions received at least a 1-percent increase, according to the survey. Faculty wages have increased at a rate slightly above inflation for the past decade, a trend reversed this year largely due to stage budget deficits, according to The Chronicle.
Michigan State University confirmed reports that it provides training for Libyan government officials, Inside Higher Ed reported. Kent Cassella, the spokesman for Michigan State, said the University's programs were instated after the United States resumed diplomatic ties with Libya in 2006. Casella said that Michigan State's programs do not consult with the Libyan government on economic development strategies, nor has the university received donations or other funds from Libya. Libyan Foreign Minister Musa Kusa graduated from Michigan State in 1978, although Casella said in an interview with Inside Higher Ed that the school has "no indication" that Kusa played a role in selecting Michigan State as an allying institution. London School of Economics Director Howard Davies recently resigned after the exposure of monetary donations he accepted from the Libyan government on behalf of LSE, Inside Higher Ed reported.
Duke University received an $80 million gift, the largest single philanthropic donation in the history of the university, from the Duke Endowment in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday, according to a Duke press release. The gift, which will be paid over multiple years, will primarily fund renovations of student social spaces and dining facilities, as well as two auditoriums on campus. Officials from the university said the goal of the renovations is to provide students with a common gathering place with the intention of heightening the sense of community at the school. Construction will commence later this year, starting with renovations to Baldwin Auditorium, according to the press release.
