In an effort to maintain competitive salaries, the UW System Board of Regents will meet Thursday to discuss a proposal to raise salary ranges for university executives, according to regent Spokesperson Doug Bradley. The proposal calls for a 5 percent pay increase over the next two years for faculty, staff and executives, up from the original 3 percent increase proposed in August.
To fund the increase, the Regents' Business and Finance committee will suggest an alteration of the proposed 4.3 percent tuition increase, upping it to 5.5 percent each year of the coming biennium, in addition to a request for additional state funding.
According to Bradley, Regent President Toby Marcovich asked Business and Finance committee Chair Mark Bradley to conduct research comparing salaried UW schools to similar institutions nationwide and hold public listening sessions, which occurred last month.
Bradley emphasized the Regents have not made any decision on the matter, and the results of Thursday's meeting could alter the proposal.
\I think it's a little presumptive right now to say that the Regents are [definitely] going to up tuition to 5.5 percent,"" he said. ""I don't think [all of the Regents] are in the same place on this.""
Still, if the increase does go through, the Regents will catch heat from the United Council of UW Students, according to The Capital Times.
""While [the Council] wholeheartedly agree faculty needs to be compensated, it can't happen on the backs of students,"" Council President Stephanie Hilton told The Capital Times.
