McGentrix is Irate...

SUNY pay proposals draw fire
As needy students struggle, chancellor recommends increasing salary range for top administrators up to 45%

ALBANY -- Even as programs for New York state's needy college students face cuts, chunky raises could be in the offing for many top administrators at the State University of New York if a proposal by Chancellor Robert King is approved at an upcoming board meeting.

King has recommended top salaries for his own post and those of SUNY presidents increase anywhere from 20 percent to 45.4 percent.

That doesn't mean raises are guaranteed, only that they are possible. King, for example, now makes $250,000 -- $25,000 less than the current minimum for the chancellor's post. Under the proposal, the top end of the current range, $275,000 to $350,000, would increase to $420,000.

The chairman of the Assembly's Higher Education Committee, Democrat Ronald Canestrari of Cohoes, called the proposal outrageous.

Rather than fight Gov. George Pataki's plan to cut tuition aid to students, Canestrari said, "the board of trustees turns its back on that and acts like it's from a different planet. The insensitivity is amazing to me."

SUNY officials defended the raises, saying they reflect salaries paid in other systems and would help draw better talent. They also cited a number of accomplishments, such as rising SAT scores, booming enrollment and raising $1 billion in gifts and pledges over the past 3 years, as proof the system's stature is growing.

They also noted that professors and other staff are getting regular raises.

"A competitive level of compensation is important and demonstrates the university values effective leadership," King said.

State law mandates the SUNY system have a salary plan. The last plan expired in December 2003.

While King determines the salaries of the campus presidents, the board of trustees -- mostly Pataki appointees -- determines King's salary.

One Pataki appointee unhappy with the proposal is Candace de Russy.

"It is unseemly that the SUNY leaders repeatedly raising tuition should be raising the salaries of administrators who are unwilling to be accountable for reining in tuition costs," said de Russy, who frequently clashes with King and board Chairman Thomas Egan.

While SUNY undergrads who are New York residents weren't handed tuition increases this year, grad students and out-of-state residents were told to pay more.

Presidents of SUNY's 21 university colleges and technical colleges could gain the most from the proposal. Today's salary range of $90,000 to $170,000 would become $120,000 to $247,200. The average president at the institutions today makes $159,191.

Heads of the eight institutions that grant doctorates would be eligible for salaries between $176,000 and $339,200; the current range is $170,000 to $275,000. The average president at the institutions today makes $227,143.

In addition to salaries, presidents get annual housing allowances between $48,000 and $60,000, if their homes aren't provided by SUNY. King gets $90,000 a year for housing.

State officials said the higher salaries will be closer to those paid elsewhere. They cited a $525,000 salary paid to the chief of Rutgers, $475,000 that went to the president of the University of Michigan and the $350,000 salary paid to the president of the City University of New York.

Even if the guidelines are raised, it's not clear where the money will come from to pay for pay raises.

"Obviously, this would be terrible if it came with big tuition increases," said Miriam Kramer of the New York Public Interest Research Group.

Even if tuition doesn't go anywhere, if presidents start getting raises, the union that represents faculty members will use the new ranges as benchmarks for their own negotiations.

"The gap between the administration and the faculty is widening," said Frank Maurizio, spokesman for United University Professions. "We've been losing full-time faculty at a distressing rate, and one of the reasons, certainly not the only reason, is that we're barely keeping up in terms of salary."

Trustees will vote on the proposal Tuesday, after which a public hearing will be held.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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