Texas Tech Freezes Faculty Salaries While Giving Its Football Coach a $500,000 Year Pay Increase

Texas Tech University seems to be sending a rather curious message about its priorities. Faculty members are objecting after the administration froze faculty salaries for the entire university but then gave Texas Tech football coach Tommy Tuberville a $500,000 a year raise.

Texas Tech wiped out $3 million in faculty raises for 2011 and then turned around and approved an obscene five-year, $11 million contract for Tuberville. That is an increase from $1.5 million to $2 million a year.

The University has bragged that this year “According to [U.S. News and World Report], Texas Tech sits at 159 out of the top 191 schools ranked in the National University category. Texas Tech also is listed in the A+ Schools for B Students category, which is alphabetical and not by rank.” The Texas Tech president clearly believes that the key to moving the school up in academic ranking is to improve its football program rather than its academic program. This “let them eat football” approach to learning is truly distressing but it is not unique. Presidents love the revenue and alumni support that is generated by football. However, it turns an educational institution into little more than a sport franchise.

Source: NBC

Jonathan Turley