???When administrators at the University at Buffalo step down from their positions to take jobs as professors, some retain their administrative pay, which can be substantially higher than the salaries of other professors in the same field.
???For example, former UB President William R. Greiner has retained a salary of $225,000, about $10,000 less than what he earned as president. Greiner stepped down as president in 2004 and currently teaches one class.
???According to James Jarvis, assistant vice president for human resources, faculty salaries are determined by taking a variety of different items into consideration.
???"Salaries are determined by a number of things that include contractual salary raises in the [United University Professions] agreement, internal and external salary comparables, market influences, research credentials, experience, the particular field the person is from, the national and international stature of a faculty member and years of service as a faculty member," Jarvis said.
???Struggles between universities to obtain the best employees are playing an increasingly significant role in faculty salary, according to Jarvis.
???"A big part of what goes into this is the external market. As the university continues to follow its mission to being a great public research university there is competition for the best faculty," Jarvis said.
???All of the factors are independently considered before determining an employee's salary, but in some circumstances certain characteristics may have more weight over others.
???"There's not really a formula or lockstep salary policy that applies to it," Jarvis said.
???Pre-arrangements regarding salary are generally made before the person takes the administrative position, and again, when the person leaves the position. This is done to cut back on disputes over pay during times of transition.
??? "What happens to faculty when they leave their administrative duties has a lot to do with the salary that they're being paid at the time they go into their administrative position and any arrangements that are made when they leave," Jarvis said.
???Also, retiring from an administrative position does not always mean losing all administrative duties. In some circumstances, administrators do not completely forfeit all of duties when they step down, according to Jarvis.
???"I think people have retained some portion of their administrative duties but some people do return to pure [professorial] duties," Jarvis said. "There's not really a hard and fast rule."
???In some cases the former administrator steps down to become a professor and makes more than the chair of his or her department. Such is the case with former Vice Provost Kerry S. Grant, who currently makes almost $100,000 more than the chairman of his department.
???According to Jarvis, this is a concern that has not gone unnoticed.
???"President [John B.] Simpson and Provost [Satish] Tripathi are very aware of this issue and recognize the responsibility to make sure that money is spent wisely and fairly and appropriately and they have taken steps to clarify the relationship between administrative duties and faculty responsibility and what the appropriate move is when they step down," Jarvis said.
???Many of the cases where former administrators have retained their high salaries appear to have occurred when Greiner was president of the university, according to research of public salary records and faculty history.
???Jarvis would not say if this was the case, but was able to confirm that the current administration has shifted policies.
???"Simpson and Tripathi have taken a different approach to it and have tried to make sure that there's more clarity about what's going to happen to someone after they return to their faculty position," Jarvis said. "There's been a change at how they're looking at that."
???Telephone messages for Greiner and Grant were not returned.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
