Despite wrangling with what officials deemed its “worst financial crisis in history,” the University of California announced Wednesday that it has allocated 0 million to use for faculty pay raises.
According to UC Spokesman Steve Montiel, the money will be given across the school system to non-union employees who earn less than 0,000. The 10-campus UC system had previously undergone a four-year pay freeze, which was lifted Wednesday in conjunction with the school’s announcement.
In a letter to chancellors, UC President Mark Yudof said only the newest and highest-paid faculty would not be eligible for the raises. The Contra Costa Times reports:
Faculty members, who previously were eligible for merit bumps only once every four years, will all receive performance reviews in the coming year. Any professor receiving a positive review will get a 3-percent raise.
“Fairness dictates that we take this step,” Yudof wrote in his letter, citing competition from other institutions seeking to recruit some of the UC system’s leading staff members. “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.”
UC officials explained that union employees will not be eligible for pay raises because such staff members frequently receive negotiated raises as a result of their contracts, the Associated Press reported.
The pay increases come on the heels of massive cuts to the UC budget, which state lawmakers slashed by 0 million last month. The UC system has employed a number of solutions to remedy its budget shortfall, including the increased recruitment of out-of-state applicants and a series of sharp tuition increases that has drawn the ire of students across the state.
Some UC students questioned the timing of the raises as compared to the recent hike in tuition. “”Is this where our fee increase went to?” Claudia Magana, a senior at UC Santa Cruz, told the Chronicle. “I wouldn’t want to say they don’t deserve it, but I think it’s questionable that all of a sudden there’s money for this, but there’s no money for our services being cut.”
The Chronicle reports that about two-thirds of UC employees earn less than ,000. According to the Los Angeles Times, roughly 78,000 of the 103,631 total UC staffers will be eligible for pay raises.
University of California Berkeley gains pay increases while Californians suffer economy pain. Faculty University of California Berkeley (UC Berkeley) clean up at the expense of students’ parents, Californians. Californians face prolonged stagnant economy, mortgage defaults, 12% unemployment, pay reductions, loss of unemployment benefits.
UC Berkeley shares economic pain of Californians? No Chancellor, Faculty layoffs or wage concessions.
UC Berkeley pay raises, tuition & fee increases are arrogance. Apply for positions when chancellor, vice chancellor, tenured, non tenured faculty, UCOP wages better elsewhere. If wages are what commit faculty to UC, leave for better paying job. The sky will not fall on UC Berkeley.
UC Berkeley wages must reflect California’s ability to pay, not what others are paid. There is no good reason to raise salaries, tuition, fees when wage concessions available from Chancellors, Faculty.
In the spirit of shared sacrifices UC Berkeley Faculty, Vice Chancellors, Provost, Chancellor:
No furloughs.
18 percent reduction in UCOP salaries & $50 million cut.
18 percent prune of campus chancellors’, vice chancellors’ salaries.
15 percent trim of tenured faculty salaries, increase teaching load.
10 percent decrease non-tenured faculty salaries, increase research, teaching load.
100% elimination of all Academic Senate, Academic Council costs, wages.
(17,000 UC paid employees earn more than $100,000)
There is no question the necessary cuts will be painful to Faculty, Chancellors.
UC Board of Regents Chair Sherry Lansing can bridge public trust gap with reassurances salaries of Chancellors, Faculty reflect depressed California wages.
With UC’s shared economic sacrifices, the sky will not fall on the 10 campuses.
Email Opinion to
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 California”.
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
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