Jackson State U. president Carolyn Meyers gives $10,000 of her own money to create endowment for faculty raises
Clarion-Ledger
August 14, 2011
Jackson State University President Carolyn Meyers has made the rare move of making a large personal donation to the university.
Meyers, who is not a JSU alumnus, announced this week that she has given $10,000 to create an endowment for faculty raises.
"Rewarding and recognizing people should not be left to the Legislature or anybody else," she said. "It starts here."
College professors who teach in Mississippi are paid, on average, $10,000 a year less than their colleagues across the Southeast.
A recent national survey from the American Association of University Professors showed professors at Jackson State make about two thirds of the national pay rate, averaging $74,500 a year.
Meyers said this year the administration was able to make salary adjustments for most faculty. The amounts varied, but she said none was "exorbitant."
"We need the best people to do their best work here at Jackson State University," she said.
