SUNY leaders defend $30K pay raises but give back other perks | News

"Economies at this scale are unprecedented," said SUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Carl Hayden.

 

Yet a favored few top administrators are being handed 30-thousand dollar pay raises on salaries that already exceed 200 thousand a year.

 

"Each of whom has been asked to take over, in whole or in part, work previously performed by others," said Hayden.

 

In testimony before the State Senate Higher Education Committee, SUNY leaders  defended other actions that have raised questions, like the large scale remodel and relocation of the Chancellor's office within the so-called SUNY castle.

 

Responding to the public uproar,  SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher announced she'd give up her housing allowance of 90-thousand dollars a year and require her lieutenants to give up their lesser allowances.

 

That money would be used to cover the three pay raises and still have some bucks left over. Just don't say you made us do it.
   
"The decision to forgo housing allowances for system administration was not driven, influenced or otherwise motivated by the character of the media coverage on this issue or the spread of misinformation about how SUNY manages both its capital and operations budget," said Zimpher.

 

She described the action as a compromise, referencing the Rolling Stones song title "You Can't Always Get What You Want".

 

Chancellor Zimpher is paid a base salary of $490-thousand dollars a year according to a State University news release.