In truth, Business, Engineering, and Science have generally a wider spread than does the College of Arts and Letters. Also the overall University spread is wider than the College spread. There is no way to assess fairness of merit increases because we do not have public salaries. The new system should reduce arbitrariness by increasing accountability. What we need is not differential raises but more raise money.
More accountability is the best avenue for more resources.
Finally, the dean called for advice from the Council on how best to proceed with the changes in evaluation. He said he prefers to continue the conversation about faculty evaluation informally, making modest changes for now, with formal recommendations to follow sometime in the next two years, if necessary. He then opened the floor to comments and suggestions. Sloan said written reviews are needed at the associate and full professor levels as well as the junior faculty level. Prof. Quinn said formal evaluation procedures are needed, but he is concerned to safeguard against abuses, especially in departments where there's strife and where chairs might use differential raises to reward supporters and punish critics.