According to the San Francisco Chronicle (H/T to Orange Juice):
The governing board of the California State University system is poised to award pay increases averaging 11.8 percent to Chancellor Charles Reed, his four chief deputies and 23 campus presidents as part of a plan to significantly boost their salaries over the next few years.
The Board of Trustees meets today and Wednesday in Long Beach, and chairwoman Roberta Achtenberg has signaled her intent to raise the executive salaries about 46 percent over the next four years.
Here is a chart of the proposed salary increases for CSU executives:
Given how far we've moved the original Master Plan for Higher Education's original vision of affordable higher education for all Californians with the regular tuition hikes in both the CSU and UC systems, the CSU Trustees should re-think this move -- as in, not do it.
State government has become so swollen, overreaching and inefficient that it no longer effectively performs its core functions like providing infrastructure for a growing population and operating public university systems that the public can afford.
Cancelling or delaying these pay hikes doesn't solve that problem, obviously. But that's the rationale upon which so much waste and inefficiency is tolerated -- because eliminating it won't single-handedly solve things, the waste and inefficiency is allowed to continue. But there is at least a symbolic value for the CSU Trustees saying, "Enough!" and directing these executives they are so afraid of possibly losing to find innovative means for saving money that can be directed toward making a CSU education more affordable.
Apparently some of the rank and file (re:unionistas) agree with you. They're staging a protest "picnic" (!!?) today in Long Beach. Somehow, though, I doubt if they want to give the dough back to the taxpayers.
Posted by: redperegrine | September 18, 2007 at 09:08 AM
Check out the want ads for associate deans on up in area community and State schools. $90K and up!
Posted by: Patricia | September 19, 2007 at 11:42 AM