Regents can vote
Members of the Wisconsin State Assembly’s Committee on Colleges and Universities voted Wednesday to allow the Board of Regents to adjust salary ranges for University of Wisconsin System executives and leaders as they deem appropriate.

The vote broke down Republican lawmakers’ hopes of limiting the board’s ability to alter pay ranges within the system. Legislators tried to remove the regents’ ability to change salaries for fear the board would abuse it and not take into consideration the UW System, other state employees and the current unstable finances of the state.

Rep. Rob Kreibich, R-Eau Claire, is the chairman of the committee, and introduced the bill that was shot down. Under its constituents, the board would not have been able to approve salary adjustments that surpassed average salary adjustments of academic staff and faculty and of unionized university employees.

Democratic Assembly members conversely voiced agreement with the board’s rationale for proposing an adjustment in salary ranges — to maintain and provide key administrators in the competitive market for university leaders.

In light of this support, Board of Regents president Toby Marcovich has expressed a desire to revisit the salary-adjustment issue, whose vote of approval was nullified earlier this month.

Four regents, however, have stated that they think several issues must be taken into consideration regarding pay raises.

Regents Greg Gracz, Jesus Salas, Nino Amato and Beth Richlen feel the perks UW System administrators and executives receive from their respective positions should be a factor in salary adjustments. They feel such perks, which can include free housing or housing expenditures, free use of automobiles, entertainment and hospitality expenditures, and paid vacations, among others, should fall under review.

The four regents sent a letter to Regent Mark Bradley, chair of the Regent Business and Finance Committee, asking for this review.

Although the Finance Committee will report on the salary-adjustment issue at the regents’ meetings next week, the request from Gracz, Salas, Amato and Richlen will probably not be discussed until December.