UW-La Crosse professors and staff to receive raises

About 75 of UW-La Crosse’s professors and staff will receive pay raises next month.

The employees will receive a $2000 salary boost, on average. Officials want to close the pay gap between UWL and similar universities. The raises are funded by UWL’s savings from retirements and increased enrollment.

UWL chancellor Joe Gow says they’re doing the best they can with what they have: “Unfortunately people do leave the university on a fairly regular basis for better salary offers. We need to do all we can to retain our best people. We also want to signal people who might be thinking of joining us at the university that we do everything we can on salary.”

Gow is one of three UWL administrators who qualified for the raise, but turned it down.

Other UW schools, including Madison and Stevens Point, have been establishing similar raises.

UW System spokesman David Giroux says retaining employees improves the quality of education, “If we offer some sort of continuity for our students, who when they come to campus as freshmen, expect certain professors to be there. It’s often they’re attracted by the talent we have today. If some of that talent leaves before they can take advantage of it, they’re left feeling disappointed, maybe a little cheated.”

UW employees have not received across the board raises since 2008.