Multiple sources have informed Onward State that Penn State President Graham Spanier announced on Monday a 1% raise for all faculty members.

It is believed, but not yet confirmed, that the raise was a university-wide one, extending from professors “down to janitors and grounds crew.”

For two of the past three years, Spanier and the Board of Trustees enacted a salary freeze, meant as a cost-cutting measure in the face of dwindling appropriations. Penn State, like most major institutions, has a “normal program” of increasing faculty and staff pay each year, but that process had been halted in both 2009-10 and then again for the 2011-12 school year.

According to reports on last year’s freeze, the university saved about $61 million over the two years.

The reasoning behind the recent raises is not yet known, and although this comes out during the midst of a scandal, it would be far too speculative to connect the two, especially since sources indicated that the raise had been disclosed to university employees well before the ordeal began. Faculty members were informed weeks ago that they would receive the salary increase.

However, as protestors continue to camp out in the HUB, demonstrating their disapproval with the Penn State administration, and as the calls grow louder for Spanier’s head, the pay increases raise a number of questions.

Update 11:48 a.m. – We just received this email forwarded from an anonymous source. The message was originally sent by a senior college administrator.

I am pleased to announce that President Spanier has approved funding for a modest mid-year salary adjustment, effective January 1, 2012 for full-time faculty and staff including those holding fixed term appointments. Employees who, at the minimum, met expectations during the last evaluation period will be eligible for a 1.0% increase. There will also be limited additional funding for equity and market adjustments.