Thanks to the legislature’s passing of an Illinois state income tax increase, NIU faculty and staff will begin to see their paychecks increase.

This means faculty and staff will finally get what they’ve been waiting for and what they certainly deserve. NIU is losing quality professors to institutions that are more competitive and economically inviting. As the second largest Illinois state university, NIU could build its academic reputation but has struggled with this, partially for a lack of funds.

The teaching profession is one that should not be taken for granted. After all this is an institution of higher learning, and that requires higher teaching. The teaching standards at NIU should improve, but unfortunately will probably only do so based on competitive salaries offered. Finally, NIU salaries are reaching that point.

Much too often, faculty and staff are the last to get their piece of the pie. While inflation goes up, tuition goes up, administrators’ salaries go up and faculty salaries outside of Illinois soar. NIU faculty salaries have slipped behind.

Hopefully, this increase will elevate merit and motivation, while at the same time attract more quality professors to NIU. This move puts NIU, not above other similar institutions, but in the same salary range.

NIU President John La Tourette said the increase might even go above the 8 percent, which would really begin to make NIU competitive.

We cannot afford to slip behind again. After all, no one likes to play catchup.