Everyone welcome Linda Katehi, the first woman to hold the post as UC Davis‘ chancellor! I‘m all for feminism, and I‘m glad a woman is being recognized for the skills that she has, really. But what I’m not ‘all for‘ is this lady being granted an $85,000 a year raise, that is $85,000 a year more than our current chancellor, literally within hours of deciding on a 9.7 percent increase in fees for undergraduates in the UC system.
This would mean $8,720 a year in fees for in-state undergraduates.
This would also mean an expected $152 million dollars in revenue.
Apparently, this will also mean a $400,000 annual salary for Ms. Linda Katehi.
Most college students are already suffering from the new age depression: cutting back spending, borrowing more money, taking on second jobs. While we are doing this, and the regents are voting 17 to 4 on an increase in fees, chancellor Katehi receives $400,000 plus housing, relocation expenses, an automobile allowance, pension and health benefits.
I‘d like some health benefits.
UC President Yudof claims that the $85,000 a year increase is a necessary increase in order to retain talent needed to run our universities. “In times like this, you need leadership,“ he said. “I felt like I got a pretty good discount, as a matter of fact.“ Really? Really, really?? &#%*! #&@$.
God damn it. Sorry, Allah damn it. She‘s getting $400,000 a year to do what Vanderhoef did which, to the best of my knowledge, and I think a lot of people on campus would agree, is absolutely nothing. And if that near 90 grand raise is what is necessary to retain a “leader“ for our school, I‘d say good riddance.
And not only are student fees going up, but the UC has also “imposed hiring freezes, reduced faculty recruitment and cut freshman enrollment,“ according to an SFgate article. Less people will have jobs, those of us who are stuck paying higher fees will have a higher student to teacher ratio, and less and less qualified students will even be able to attend university, because of these financial set backs.
Most of us don‘t even know what the chancellor does besides hang out on fifth floor Mrak, make guest appearances now and then, and hide from a student protest every once in a while. I don‘t mean to claim the chancellor does nothing, but at least the current/previous chancellor didn‘t have anyway real interaction with campus and the student population. Having the highest position on campus, and with that the most power, makes me hope that any chancellor of ours would be more interested in our school than with an $85,000 raise.
One of the four regents who actually voted against the increase, Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi said, “At a time when students are having to pay increasing fees, I think it’s wrong to provide salary increases and what I would consider to be excessive salaries.“ Amen to that, brother.
Not only are the regents making it more and more difficult for hard-working low and middle income students to afford college, but they are really rubbing it in our faces with salary increases like this. And while UC chancellors are sitting on six figure salaries, we‘re desperately trying to get work-study grants and find crappy summer jobs during the recession.
It‘s really unnecessary and selfish of the regents and new chancellor to not make the same sacrifices and compromises as everyone else. The $315,000 annual salary that Vanderhoef has now would be more than enough to support the new chancellor‘s family, home and mental well-being during these hard economic times. A luxury not everybody has.
It makes me question how highly the UC regards its students, its faculty and its staff. Budget cuts across the board threaten some of the backbone student programs on campus, and yet we have an extra 85 grand to throw at Mrak Hall. If this were any other generation, we‘d riot, protest, scare the shit out of the UC. But, I have midterms this week, and a riot really won‘t fit in my schedule.
SARA KOHGADAI protests weekly on page two of The California Aggie. If you‘re with her, join the cause at sbkohgadai@ucdavis.edu.
