The Education and General, or simply E&G budget, is the “bucket” of money which goes to the core mission of the university. This is funded by tuition and state funding. And, while tuition and state appropriations have increased faster than inflation, the percentage of the E&G budget going to faculty salaries has fallen.
This is a choice.
This decrease is reflected in higher work loads and lower salaries for faculty. This translates to larger classes, less faculty time per student, and lower metrics in both student and faculty flourishing.