Board of Regents to re-evaluate vote

by Chris Werner, College Editor

A Sept. 2 approval by the Board of Regents to adjust pay ranges for leaders and administrators within the University of Wisconsin System will officially take the stage at the board’s next meeting in mid-October.

As Board president Toby Marcovich said in a memo earlier this week, the board will re-evaluate its decision, which faced intense scrutiny from politicians, students and administrators.

In his memo, Marcovich expressed hope that the review of the vote will contribute to an understanding of the options and obstacles surrounding the salary adjustments.

These reconsiderations could possibly lead to a re-vote on the matter.

Such criticism revolved around the current economic hardships hitting the UW System, questioning the necessity for these adjustments in a time when tuition is increasing and university services are getting axed.

In addition, critics deemed inappropriate the relatively discreet and unusual way in which the board held the vote through a rushed teleconference. The circumstances of the meeting left three regents abstaining from the vote.

Nonetheless, Marcovich and UW System President Katharine Lyall stood by the vote. They viewed the loss of two UW-Milwaukee and Stevens Point chancellors to higher paying out-of-state jobs as possible precursors for future losses, something adjusted pay ranges could help to deter. In doing so, the UW System would remain a competitive player in the market of administrative leaders.

In order to qualm concerns of the vote’s opponents, Marcovich and Lyall opted to confer with numerous national search consultants on the matter. The consultants’ recommendations, which work to take into account salaries of other university officials and current administrative market wages, will be considered by the board before moving forward with any official salary changes.