UC President Mark Yudof announced last Wednesday that UC faculty would be receiving their first pay raises in over 4 years.
In a letter to the UC Chancellors, Yudof explained the raises could only be given to faculty who make less than $200,000 a year. The pay raises will be given based on merit, and professors will be evaluated this coming Fall. The UC system will spend $140 million on these raises.
In the letter, Yudof explained his reasoning behind providing pay raises during this economic crisis.
“One purpose of this pool is to give you a tool in your efforts to recruit, and most importantly, retain leading faculty members, who increasingly are being courted by competing institutions,” Yudof wrote.
Yudof also said that the faculty deserved these pay raises as they have been forced to pay more and more of their health insurance.
“In addition, because of the new benefit reforms we have put in place, all non-represented employees will see their take home salaries diminish as their contributions to health and pension plans ramp up,” Yudof wrote.
Yudof and 400 other UC employees who make more than $200,000 a year are not eligible for the raises.
According to Steve Montiel, UC spokesperson, money for these raises will come from recent student fee hikes, general fund money and other sources from the university, such as medical centers and grants.
As the UC system faces an economic crisis, some wonder where this extra money is coming from. However, Yudof said that he feels the employees of the UC system deserve this raise, especially as they take on more work and pay more toward their retirement funds.
“Fairness dictates that we take this step,” Yudof wrote.
– Hannah Strumwasser
I love the University of California (UC) having been a student and lecturer. But today I am concerned that at times I do not recognize the UC I love. Like so many I am deeply disappointed by the pervasive failures of Regent Chairwoman Lansing, President Yudof and the ten campus Chancellors from holding the line on rising costs and tuition increases.
Californians are reeling from19% unemployment (includes those forced to work part time, and those no longer searching), mortgage defaults, loss of unemployment benefits. And those who still have jobs are working longer for less. Faculty wages must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others are paid.
Pay increases for generously paid Faculty is arrogance.
UC Berkeley (ranked # 70 Forbes) tuition increases exceed the national average rate of increases. Chancellor Birgeneau has molded Cal. into the most expensive American public university.
President Yudof and Chancellor Birgeneau have dismissed many much needed cost-cutting options. They did not consider freezing vacant faculty positions, increasing class size, requiring faculty to teach more classes, doubling the time between sabbaticals, cutting and freezing pay and benefits for all chancellors and reforming the pension system.
They said such faculty reforms “would not be healthy for University of Californiaâ€.
We agree it is far from the ideal situation, but it is in the best interests of the university system and the state to hold the line on cost increases. UC cannot expect to do business as usual: raising tuition; granting pay raises and huge bonuses during a weak economy that has sapped state revenues and individual Californians’ income.
There is no question the necessary realignments with economic reality are painful. Regent Chairwoman Lansing can bridge the public trust gap with reassurances that salaries and costs reflect California’s economic reality. The sky above UC will not fall
Opinions? Email the UC Board of Regents marsha.kelman@ucop.edu
@idrivealittleredcar
Your comment is quite off-pitch and your logic unsound. “FINALLY a lot of our professors are very lazy, and don’t even teach…they just do their research”. This sentence is so painfully ignorant that I dare say I was hoping you were being sarcastic. This is a research university, which means it centers on research and faculty are continually pushed to do more. They come to this university mainly to expand their research, not mainly to teach. If faculty primarily wanted to teach, they would head to a California State University, a system which is centered on teaching rather than research. You have your priorities all wrong here and you have absolutely no right to chastise faculty for being ‘lazy’.
Professors at this university are asked much more than is possible of them. This is good, because it pushes them to be greater and improve constantly. However, the minute that you turn those motivations into insults you are degrading them as employees. They have every right to leave at any time. These raises are an excellent idea, because of one main issue: budget cuts are making life at the UC system more and more miserable each passing week. Therefore what is to keep these professors from seeking employment and better – and higher paying – schools elsewhere, be they public or private? These raises will help retain the excellent faculty we currently have to keep the quality of research at this university above par and continue the push for excellence. Brave Monsieur Yudof, bravo.
TJM
So I partly understand the mentality here…however, I think raises should actually be given to professors who make under 100k a year…most individuals don’t even make 100k…and they survive and live just fine. Most people also pay a good portion on their insurance….and seriously, if you can’t budget properly on a 100k salary, then I think you have other issues. FINALLY a lot of our professors are very lazy, and don’t even teach…they just do their research. On the flip side, I can think of quite a few of my upper div profs who have been incredible and would deserve a raise (I very much appreciate the great lengths that GOOD professors go to to ensure their students are successful), if they aren’t already making 100k.