New York City’s Brooklyn Law School has announced it will freeze faculty salaries, in order to keep 2009 tuition increases low.
Dean Joan G. Wexler discussed the issue in a letter to students:
… I am writing to let you know that when the School sets tuition for the next academic year, we will be mindful of the current difficult economic times and the financial pressures that you face.
Over the past five years, annual tuition increases have been approximately 6.2% for entering students and 5% for upperclass students. I anticipate that any increase for the 2009-10 academic year will be substantially lower…
… All departmental budgets will be carefully reviewed, but we will be able to keep our tuition increase to a minimum by foregoing salary increases for deans and almost all administrators, faculty, and staff in the coming year. The savings will be passed on to you.
… We are imposing this limit on our tuition increase not because we have to, but because we are able to, and because we know it will help you deal with these challenging economic times.
Brooklyn Law School’s faculty includes 68 full-time professors and five emeriti faculty. It also draws on a large body of practitioners, public officials and judges as adjunct faculty to teach specialized courses.
Summary:
Brooklyn Law School freezes faculty salaries so as to keep the tuition increases low and being mindful of the current difficult economic times. This limit is imposed not because the institution has to but they want to help people deal with the challenging economic situations. By carefully reviewing departmental budgets, the tuition fees have been kept to a bare minimum by foregoing salary increases for deans and staff.