We are writing to qualify statements by the VP External Affairs, Rob van Adrichem, in the Dec. 7th article titled "UNBC faculty files for arbitration". Mr. van Adrichem's explanation for the low salaries of UNBC faculty compared to the rest of Canada was based on there being few full professors at UNBC and our youth as an institution, resulting in the average salary of faculty being lower than at other institutions.
That explanation is without merit, because regardless of rank (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) a comparison to most other institutions in Canada shows that UNBC faculty have the lowest salary at the same rank and years-in-rank (see http://dx.doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.103681). The gap between UNBC and other institutions gets larger the longer a professor stays at UNBC.
UNBC is a unique university because it was built in response to a grassroots campaign by citizens of the North. UNBC faculty embrace this origin in our teaching, research and service work. Much of our research, primarily done in the summer months, weekends and evenings, is dedicated to solving problems in our region. Many of the undersigned have worked at UNBC since it opened, and the university owes its success in large part to the hard work by faculty and staff. We are very proud of UNBC's many accomplishments in its short history, and the role that we have played.
It saddens us that the growing salary discrepancy is being marginalized and that the non-monetary issues important to faculty have been de-emphasized. We fear that this outlook will ultimately lead to poor faculty retention, less willingness to go the extra mile, and fewer faculty who will want to come to UNBC to work in the north for the North.
Similar to our challenges in recruiting undergraduate students, Prince George is a difficult place to recruit faculty to, in part because of undeserved notoriety as the most dangerous city in Canada, and continued struggles with air quality. Between five and 10 years from now, many of the undersigned will be retiring, as will many other professors across the country. Unless we take steps to be more competitive in the faculty market, the quality of UNBC will suffer in the long run and our ability to continue to serve our region will decline.
Michael Gillingham, Greg Halseth, Dezene Huber, Peter Jackson, Kathy Lewis, Staffan Lindgren, Pat Maher, Brian Menounos, Brent Murray, Katherine Parker, Paul Sanborn, Pam Wright
Prince George
