A salary plan which would significantly raise pay for top SUNY executives will be voted on Tuesday by the SUNY Board of Trustees in Albany.
The plan would set salary ranges for the SUNY Chancellor and university presidents within the system. If the plan is accepted, SUNY Chancellor Robert King could see his annual salary rise almost 70 percent over the next five years, from $250,000 to $420,000.
The pay of university presidents could increase under the plan as well. President John Simpson, who was invested as UB's 14th president last week, could see his salary go from $225,000 to as high as $339,000.
If the plan is approved Tuesday, it will not automatically raise salaries, but will increase the possible salary ranges for King and the university presidents.
Critics of the plan, including some SUNY Trustees, blasted the proposal in light of other proposals recently rejected by Governor George Pataki which would have given tens of millions of dollars to lower-income SUNY students, along with recent tuition hikes passed by SUNY.
"I believe it's the wrong thing for us to be doing - to repeatedly raise tuition and then raise the salaries of administrators who ought to be doing a better job at containing tuition costs," said Trustee Candace de Russy in Saturday's Buffalo News.
King, who proposed the salary plan, defended it as necessary to keep SUNY competitive as a public university system.
"Compensation is not the only factor in attracting and retaining top-flight academic talent. But a competitive level of compensation is important and demonstrates the university values leadership," said King in a statement.
To justify the proposed raises, SUNY released salary information for leaders at other public universities, published in The Buffalo News and The Albany Times-Union. The president of Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge makes $490,000, while the president of the University of Michigan makes $475,000.
King was also criticized for keeping the plan secret until only days before it is to be voted on. The plan was released Friday afternoon, and will be voted on Tuesday before the trustees open up their session to public comment.
In addition, the salary plan is being proposed before SUNY has come up with next year's budget, which would explain how salary increases might be funded.
"Why are they doing this now? They should put it all together and release it as one budget document that will show us where all the parts are coming from, not just piecemeal," said Miriam Kramer, a lobbyist at the New York Public Interest Research Group in The Buffalo News.
Currently, King's salary is $25,000 less than the minimum level for the chancellor's post. King also receives a $90,000 housing allowance, according to the Buffalo News.
On top of his state salary, Simpson also receives benefits from the UB Foundation and a mansion in East Amherst, all of which adds up to about $400,000 in compensation.
SUNY's board of trustees will vote to approve or reject the salary proposal Tuesday. The board is appointed by Governor George Pataki.
Photo: Courtesy of Matthew Messina, from the RMBERS' Instagram page
