In regards to the Penn State administration's statements that a faculty salary increase is necessary for Penn State to remain competitive with other schools: When I was in high school and deciding which college I should attend the quality of the education was of course considered in my decision.

However, the final determining factor in where I actually went to college was the price tag. While I'll agree that paying faculty well to maintain Penn State's quality is important, I'd like to point out that keeping tuition low is equally, if not more, attractive to potential students. Next year's gargantuan tuition hike makes the university less appealing to those who wish to come here.

After all, not every high school student looking at Penn State has a soon-to-be-better-paid Penn State professor as a parent.