Faculty Senate Meeting. 3/14

The Marshall University Faculty Senate meeting focused heavily on the annual budget report. A large part of the report, delivered by university President Stephen J. Kopp, focused on employee salaries and how they compare to other universities and budget cuts.

Kopp said during his presentation that more professors have full professor rank at Marshall University than any other South Regional Education Board Accounted universities — 46 percent more.

62 percent of university funds are dedicated to faculty salaries.

The next subject discussed at the meeting was upcoming statewide budget cuts. Marshall will face an 8.9 percent cut. Kopp said the easiest way to make up the loss is to raise tuition. Future students will pay about $730 more a semester.

Kopp said another possible solution is to impose a statewide “pop tax.” A similar tax is already in effect, with a 1 percent tax increase in order to fund the medical school at West Virginia University.