The Board of Regents has repeatedly voted to increase salaries of UW senior administrators. These increases occur while students are faced with tuition hikes and fewer enrollment options.
Recently, the Board of Regents made questionable decisions, such as breaking open meeting laws, and these decisions spurred a legislative audit of the UW system. The Legislative Audit Board report paints a disturbing picture.
One questionable decision is the Board of Regents voting to increase senior administrators' salaries by $500,000 over the last three years. Add on at least another $57,000 to that figure because this month the Board of Regents voted to increase the salaries of seven senior administrators. These increases come as other state employees lose jobs or struggle for pay raises while Wisconsinites face higher taxes and health care costs.
UW senior administrators do not have it all that bad. Many receive perks such as free houses, cars and entertainment budgets. So who could defend these wretched pay increases? UW Regent Chuck Pruitt supports the recent salary increases because, he says, \[since] they choose to stay at their institutions rather than leave the state, they are significantly underpaid, compared to their peers in neighboring states.""
Comparing UW System schools with other universities is like comparing apple and oranges. The only real justification for pay increases would be found by looking at current conditions in the state and at other state-funded institutions, which would show that current salary increases are unjustified.
Pruitt goes on: ""In 2003-04, the chancellor at Minnesota State University in Moorhead (enrollment of 9,100) received a salary of $181,756, while the chancellor at UW-La Crosse (enrollment of 8,746) was paid $156,600."" So an extra $30,000 will attract or retain a senior administrator? A senior administrator acts as a figurehead of a University, and an extra $30,000 should not be a measure for retention or attraction. If money is a priority of a prospective or current administrator, that priority is misguided. The paramount priority of any senior administrator should be a desire to act for academia and improve education.
Senior administrators should follow the lead of Gov. Doyle, who recently asked state agencies to cut their budgets by 10 percent. A salary cut of this nature would not strip the clothes off the back of top UW officials or compromise the quality of education here. Pay cuts, not pay increases, would show top administrators' commitment to the plight of students and finally fulfill their inherent duty as serving as true figureheads in the UW system.
