Editorial On University Salaries Criticised

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31614, 27 February 1968, Page 16

Editorial On University Salaries Criticised

At least some former New Zealand teachers now living abroad would be prepared to accept a lower income for some of the other benefits of life in New Zealand if other factors were as attractive as those to be found overseas, according to Dr E. B. Wiltshire, an associate professor in the department of psychology at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.

A former New Zealander, Dr Wiltshire was writing to “The Press” to comment on a leading article on university salaries, printed on January 26.

“Your comments on the need for improved salaries, and even on the deferment of salary increases for about a year, are understandable,” he wrote. "However, to a New Zealander now teaching in a university outside the country, some other assertions and omissions cannot go unchallenged. “The difficulty with an increase in the teaching load is that, once made, it tends to lose its temporary quality. The resultant decrease in research and scholarly endeavour then has a tendency to change the nature of the institution from a true university to a technical school.” Dr Wiltshire said that once a university gained the reputation for having high teacher loads, its positions, however well paid, wbuld lose some of their attraction.

“Your editorial further seems to imply that salary level is the major, if not the sole, matter of concern to prospective lecturers.

“While salaries are not unimportant, there are at least

some former New Zealand teachers now living abroad who would be prepared to accept a lower income for some of the other benefits of life in New Zealand if other factors were at least as attractive as those to be found overseas,” he wrote. “These factors include working conditions, the possibility of joint appointments, freedom to undertake a certain amount of outside consulting work, progressive programmes, and an atmosphere conducive to research. “As your editorial completely ignored these concerns, it is unfair of you to imply, as you did, that those about to leave are only ‘money-seekers,’ and that those remaining are irresponsible if they seek better salaries or conditions,” wrote Dr Wiltshire. “Had you advocated a more positive approach to improvement of some of the more or less intangible qualities of university teaching positions, perhaps some people such as myself would feel more eager to return home,” he wrote. !