In an effort to keep College of William and Mary faculty from leaving for higher-paying positions elsewhere, students there approved a referendum last month to raise the student activity fee $5, to $80. The extra money will be used to boost the salaries of professors who might leave because state budget cuts have frozen faculty salaries.
The increase of the yearly fee-normally used to bring bands to campus and help out the debate teams and other clubs-will create three $10,000 bonuses to be awarded to professors, chosen by the school’s provost, with input from students, officials said.
State aid to William and Mary has dropped 28 percent in the past two years.
