An article from This week in 5 numbers: Another year of growth for faculty salaries

We’re rounding up recent stories, from a second year of faculty compensation increases to more consolidation in Georgia universities.

Published April 18, 2025 Ben Unglesbee Senior Reporter

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Georgia Southern University, pictured here, is poised to absorb East Georgia State College after a vote of approval by the state university system's board of regents. The image by Michael Coulter is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

From salary increases for faculty to more consolidation among Georgia universities, here are the top-line figures from some of our biggest stories of the week.

By the numbers   0.9% The average year-over-year growth in inflation-adjusted faculty salaries for fall 2024, according to early data from the American Association of University Professors. That marked the second year of real growth in faculty compensation, though wages still haven't recovered from the pandemic.   25 The number of institutions the University System of Georgia will have after East Georgia State College merges with Georgia Southern University if the plan receives accreditor approval. The system’s board of regents approved the plan Tuesday, making it the 14th such merger approved under USG's yearslong consolidation initiative.   15% The cap on indirect cost reimbursement the Department of Energy wants to impose on researchers doing grant work. Several higher ed groups and universities, including Brown University and the American Council on Education, sued the department over the change and have won a temporary restraining barring implementation for now.   $2.2 billion The amount in federal grants the Trump administration froze for Harvard University this week. The move came after the Ivy League institution refused to comply with federal officials’ demands to, among other things, eliminate diversity initiatives, curtail the power of some faculty and audit the viewpoints of students and employees.   14% The rise in Free Application for Federal Student Aid completion among new students from spring 2023 to fall 2023 at Holyoke Community College. Officials at the Massachusetts institution boosted financial aid completion rates through an early warning system and invitations to advising sessions, they told attendees at the American Association of Community Colleges' annual conference this week. waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'mobile' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid1-mobile'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid1'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-mobile'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); }); waitToLoadAds.push(function() { googletag.cmd.push(function() { if (window.dfp_visibility == 'desktop' ) { googletag.display('dfp-hybrid2-desktop'); googletag.pubads().addEventListener('slotRenderEnded', function (event) { var adUnitPath = '/21662595662/highereddive/highereddivehybrid2'; var onProformative = false; if (onProformative && event.slot.getAdUnitPath() === adUnitPath && !event.isEmpty ) { var adUnitPathWithVisibility = adUnitPath + '-desktop'; var selector = '.pf-comments__ad-wrapper [data-container-ad-unit-id="' + adUnitPathWithVisibility + '"]'; if (!$(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').hasClass('borders')) { $(selector).closest('.pf-comments__ad-wrapper').addClass('borders') } } }); } }); });

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