Abstract
This article critiques the myth of merit pay by situating faculty evaluation within a budget constrained environment characteristic of fine arts and communication departments. Using descriptive analysis of institutional practice, it argues that shrinking operating funds, stagnant salary pools, and top down equity adjustments render traditional merit increments symbolically and materially ineffective. The discussion examines how rigid performance appraisal systems create zero sum dynamics that punish collective excellence, then outlines alternative reward mechanisms, including released teaching time, travel support, equipment funding, special topic courses, and nominations for campus honors. By reconceptualizing merit as holistic faculty support rather than marginal salary differentiation, this article offers department heads and higher education administrators a pragmatic framework for sustaining motivation, equity, and professional development amid fiscal austerity.
Recommended Citation
Drapeau, Donald A.
(1989)
"Merit Increases -- Myth or Reality?,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 70, Article 2.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol70/iss1/2
