RMU faculty scale back raises to boost financial aid - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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The union that represents faculty at theMoon Township-base institution agreed to forgo more than half of theird 2.75 percent salary increases for the 2009-10 academidc year to let the universit y shift $180,000 into scholarships for new and returning students, Roberr Morris announced Monday. “We wanted to make a contributionm to thecampus community. It is gratifying for us to do somethinyg tohelp students,” read a statement from Sean president of the Faculty Federation, Localp 3412 of the , which represents about 145 RMU professorw and other instructors. These faculty members will now receive aboutya 1.3 percent increase to their base salaries.
Ninety percent of RMU students receive some sort offinancial aid, the schoo said. “Our faculty were undert no obligation to takethis action, whichj is a testament to how deeplty they care for thei r students,” President Gregory Dell’Omo said in a “Many of our students and their families have been hit hard by the nation’e economic crisis, and our staff and administrators are making sacrificesx to ensure that those students will be able to continu their education.” In addition to 15 percent spending cuts sincee the fall, the university has halteds all hiring for stafdf positions, though it continues to hire faculty.
In March, Dell’Omo announced a freeze on salariees forall non-faculty staff, including himselg and other senior administrators. In all, thes e cuts will help create a total financial aid pool ofabourt $16 million for the coming school the university said.