Among the responses to my last letter to you, which I circulated to the Senate, a second problem has been brought to my attention. It is widely believed that salary increases at the U of O are given predominantly in response to outside offers. Since I have seen an example of it, I suspect there is some truth in the view. Has anyone pointed out to you how detrimental such a policy can be? In the event that they have not, I will try to do so.

• 1. A policy of raises contingent on outside offers rewards the wrong behavior. Faculty should be busy teaching and pursuing their scholarly activities, not be out shopping.
• 2. Encouraging shopping, as the policy does, probably results directly in the loss of our best faculty. Although shopping may be motivated by the desire for local leverage, it will sometimes uncover offers that are too good to refuse and which the U of O is unable to match.
• 3. The policy is hell on faculty collegiality. Those who do not shop see raises going to colleagues who do, with no obvious concern by the Administration for the relative value of contributions made to research or teaching. The result is a growing cynicism regarding the Administration's desire to reward superior scholarship.

Perhaps the policy is a reflection of an official view that the U of O should be "run like a business." If so, God save us - if a business is what you want, that is likely to be what you'll get. But you'll lose a once fine University in the doing.

Feel free to forward this, or any other letter, to whomever it may be of concern.

Best regards, Frank

Franklin W. Stahl American Cancer Society Research Professor of Molecular Biology Institute of Molecular Biology University of Oregon Eugene, OR, USA 97403-1229 Tel: 541-346-6096 Fax: 541-346-5891