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* From a few days ago…
Illinois community college and university presidents are enjoying a “fantasy world of lavish perks” — including housing allowances, cars, club memberships and generous bonuses — as part of sometimes secret deals that show disregard for taxpayers, according to a new report from state legislators.
The perks include a $32,000 housing allowance for the president of Harper College, a $450,000 retention bonus for a former University of Illinois at Chicago chancellor and $30,000 toward two retirement plans in addition to state pension contributions for the Elgin Community College president. […]
Though the report blasts the Glen Ellyn-based college for its recent scandals, it also chastises public universities and community colleges statewide for providing “excessive fringe benefits” and lucrative exit deals for top administrators, including a $480,418 severance package to the former Illinois State University president after less than a year on the job. […]
In addition to highlighting the compensation packages, the report also takes aim at the “skyrocketing” number of administrators at the public schools as tuition and fees have increased.
At public universities in Illinois, full-time administrative staff increased 31.1 percent from 2004 to 2010, according to the report, while there was only a 1.8 percent increase in full-time faculty and a 2.3 percent increase in students.
* As noted below, university presidents/chairmen/chancellors were in Springfield yesterday and posed for a photo in front of the Statehouse…
Pictured, left to right are: front row, University of Illinois President Timothy L. Killeen, Northeastern Illinois University President Sharon Hahs and Governors State University President Elaine P. Maimon; middle row, University of Illinois at Springfield Chancellor Susan Koch, Illinois State University President Larry H. Dietz and Chicago State University President Wayne Watson; back row, Southern Illinois University President Randy J. Dunn, Eastern Illinois University Acting President Blair Lord, Western Illinois University Board of Trustees Chair Cathy E. Early and Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees Chair Dr. John R. Butler.
* The pic…
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:09 pm
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University Administrators soon found they have a shared love of miniature Pony’s, laughing at the down trodden, and expensive wine. All topics that arose unprompted by the Governor’s staff during talks earlier in the day.
Comment by John A Logan Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:14 pm
My college president visited Springfield and all I got was this lousy tuition increase.
Comment by Nick Naylor Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:15 pm
There they stand, like ten gleaming pins at the far end of the alley, waiting to be knocked down by a rolling, spinning seventeen-pound bowling ball of their own hubris.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:17 pm
“We can smell the meat a-cookin’!”
Comment by JoanP Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:19 pm
They are tone deaf to the criticism. They feel entitled to their perks.
This is one area where Dems and Reps may find consensus.
Comment by Cassiopeia Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:23 pm
“When will they erect our statues?”
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:23 pm
Abe would be proud of our “perks”.
Comment by Give Me A Break Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:23 pm
“Yeah that’s all well and good, but I’ll never make more than the basketball coach.”
Comment by Deep South Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:24 pm
Prepare for the boom being lowered.
Comment by John Parnell Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:25 pm
Which of these 11 objects is not like the others?
Comment by Harry Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:27 pm
“Too bad we don’t coach football.”
Comment by chi Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:27 pm
Three tiers of the pension plan
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:28 pm
We who are about to be sacked salute you.
Comment by JB13 Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:30 pm
We work hard for the money.
So hard for it honey.
We work hard for the money so you better treat us right.
Comment by jls Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:32 pm
Welcome Back, Coddled - Sebastian, enhanced by VanillaMan
Welcome back,
Our dreams punched your golden ticket out.
Welcome back,
To the plush public place that you gives you clout.
Well tuitions are all raised since your younger days,
But our dreams have remained so you’ve increased your pays.
Who’d have thought they’d lead ya (Who’d have thought they’d lead ya)
Back here where we need ya (Back here where we need ya)
Yeah we tease them a lot cause we’ve they got a limo parking spot, welcome back,
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back.
Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:34 pm
“Sure is nice to be a pal of Mike Madigan”
Comment by Very Fed Up Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:34 pm
Just smile and wave boys, just smile and wave
Comment by Nony Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:36 pm
Real estate agents picking up there for sale signs
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:36 pm
Good one, VMan.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:38 pm
So NIU and WIU Presidents were “no shows”? Sorry but sending your politically appointed board chair in your place would seem to be sending the wrong message! For the money and perks they receive you would think that a president would attend this critical meeting. I guess that NIU and WIU are fine with their budgets……
Comment by Dazed and Confused Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:40 pm
Sickening.Yes, University Presidents have a huge job, an important job, a time consuming job, but not a one of them is worth $450,000 (or more). I doubt that any of them truly believe in EDUCATION except for how much they can reel in to build their own portfolios. And with that, tuition just keeps costing more and more.
Comment by LaughingJane Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:41 pm
What? Us worry?
Comment by lovecraft Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:43 pm
Tonight on Hell’s kitchen, the blue team cooks Golden Goose.
Comment by Downstate Weed Chewing Hick Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:45 pm
You’re on double secret probation. One more slip up, one more mistake, and your FINISHED at Faber. You hear me?!
Comment by Dudeman Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:47 pm
This may be pretty SAD but……..WE DON’T CARE.
Just look at the smiles on our faces. Cheese (for us). Give everyone else the free cheese but make them stand in line for it. We are way to busy lining our pockets with their money.
Comment by THE CAPTION? Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:57 pm
University of phoenix class of 2015
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 2:57 pm
Looks like Lincoln sent them to the corner.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:01 pm
Over $100M in salary and pension liability…No wonder they’re smiling.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:02 pm
Taking a page from the self-advocacy movement of people with developmental disabilities, these well-compensated college presidents put human faces on the people who will be impacted by college funding cuts.
Comment by Earnest Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:09 pm
Berate us all you want, but our salaries and perks are quite modest compared to CEOs who run organizations of comparable size. The academic compensation market is hardly the only one that is broken.
Comment by Andy S. Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:11 pm
Smiling all the way to the bank.
Comment by jls Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:13 pm
At least they let us take our black and white striped coveralls off before taking the picture.
Comment by No stripes Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:18 pm
At least you ADMIT “the academic compensation market is broken.” Duh !
Comment by Hey Andy Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:23 pm
=Berate us all you want, but our salaries and perks are quite modest compared to CEOs who run organizations of comparable size. The academic compensation market is hardly the only one that is broken.=
Apples and oranges. You are in PUBLIC education, whose salaries are primarily paid by state taxes or tuition. Those CEOs are beholden to stockholders and if they do not make enough money (case in point Donald Thompson, formerly of McDonald’s) they are shown the door. Using your logic, what should the Governor’s salary be?
Comment by Bogey Golfer Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:23 pm
Fantasy Island Vacation for so called educators
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:34 pm
===”our salaries and perks are quite modest compared to CEOs who run organizations of comparable size.”===
Yeah, go with that. You’re an absolute vision of modesty. Who’s salary and perks are quite modest compared to yours; Answer: Almost everyone.
Comment by A guy Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:39 pm
Not shown in the photo: the two or three administrative assistants each brought with them, at salaries of over $100,000 per year per.
Comment by Filmmaker Professor Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:42 pm
The caption for the picture must read:
*************CAN WE HAVE SECONDS, PLEASE***************
Comment by A TAXPAYER Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:43 pm
I love when they say that their salaries are low compared to CEOs who run organizations of comparable sizes. My reply is: prove it. Get a job offer as a CEO at a business, and we’ll see what you’re worth.
Guess where the last two (prior to Easter) U of I presidents are now? Working as CEOs of major corporations? Hardly. They are faculty members, in Hogan’s case, the highest paid faculty member at U of I Springfield. $300,000 per year from us taxpayers, plus he will have a lifetime pension.
Apparently, they aren’t wanted as corporate CEOs.
Comment by Filmmaker Professor Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:46 pm
FYI - here’s a way to lower tuition and not disturb any of their compensation. http://publici.ucimc.org/?p=51242
www.loweruofituition.org
Comment by Filmmaker Professor Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:48 pm
47th wins. Loved it.
Comment by Jake From Elwood Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:53 pm
Promoting ethnic diversity in higher education since…well, um…
Comment by nixit71 Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:57 pm
Unfortunately, it carries down to the local levels-there are too many administrators making a lot more than front-line teachers; and unfortunately, a lot of them didn’t teach that long before taking the administration courses for the higher paying jobs that now have little to do with actual “teaching.”
Comment by downstate commissioner Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 3:58 pm
Jockeys riding the bloated bureaucracy reining in cost
Comment by Anonymous Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 4:22 pm
I would be embarrassed to appear in a photograph with Chicago State University President Wayne Watson who has mismanaged and damaged two higher education systems (prior to his controversial appointment over student and faculty opposition at CSU Watson was ruining the City Colleges of Chicago). His crony hiring methods and unethical moves have resulted in millions of dollars of damages be awarded to various plaintiffs at both CCC and CSU.
Comment by Under Further Review Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:00 pm
Caption:
“Life is Good”
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:05 pm
College president: “What are the chances of us coming away from here with increased funding, Dean Wormer?”
Dean Wormer: “Zero point zero”
Comment by Nick Naylor Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:09 pm
May 8, 2015, 10:08 AM
From CT
University of Illinois trustees Thursday approved a $167,200 bonus for outgoing president Robert Easter, who will retire from a decadeslong career at the campus next week..
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:18 pm
As I remember Hogan was relieved of command (Look it up for yourself as it is most ‘interesting’)but don’t feel sorry for him:
U. of I. to pay departing president $285,100 a year as professor
Before teaching, Hogan will take a yearlong paid sabbatical
March 24, 2012|By Jodi S. Cohen, Chicago Tribune reporter
269
University of Illinois President Michael Hogan attends the Illinois Fighting Illini game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Assembly Hall in February.
University of Illinois President Michael Hogan attends the Illinois Fighting Illini game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Assembly Hall in February. (Nuccio DiNuzzo, Chicago Tribune)
Departing University of Illinois President Michael Hogan will be paid a starting salary of $285,100 a year as a tenured history professor when he leaves office in July.
Hogan’s new contract, approved by trustees Friday, allows him to take a one-year paid sabbatical before he begins his full-time faculty job, a perk outlined in his initial contact when he took over in July 2010.
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:30 pm
I pass this along as food for thought only-I have no way of knowing the veracity of the claim, but it did seem somewhat credible to me.
When this report was discussed in the News-Gazette, a number of UIUC employees wrote to protest that IT staff
hired across campus to update and manage new systems were (in there eyes, unfairly) categorized in the report as “administrators.”
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 5:50 pm
Arthur Anderson,
It is not unusual for a number of support staff who are not civil service to be counted as administrative.
That’s why it is important to look at the trend lines over the years. Seemingly this report did that although it is always good to question everything.
But it does not change the reality that the increase in positions in so many campuses across the nation, including Illinois, have not been in faculty positions.
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:01 pm
There is an entire blog dedicated to chronicling Wayne Watson’s cronyism and corruption:
http://csufacultyvoice.blogspot.com/2015/04/why-should-watson-know-anything-about.html
If that does not grab your attention, visit the web site of the Better Government Association.
Comment by Under Further Review Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 6:15 pm
Not to disagree that there are problems with administration at public universities, however 2 thoughts to add to the discussion. #1) as Arthur Anderson pointed out, “administrators” aren’t necessarily administrative and there is no really set definition of administrator so every university does it slightly differently and it’s harder to make uniform comparisons. 2) The Senate Democratic report was not completely well done. Reading through it it seemed like they started with pre-determined conclusions and then only selected the data to support those conclusions and worked backwards from there. It failed to tell the full story of executive compensation by only selecting 1 or 2 examples instead of showing all the benefits and compensation paid for all the universities and colleges. To me that degrades the validity of the report.
Comment by MyTwoCents Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:00 pm
First, I do know the difference between “their” and “there.” Autocorrect fail, but my apologies for not proofing thoroughly.
Federalist, I agree that trends are more valuable and the trends clearly point toward administrative bloat.
UFR, I’m at the point where not much really rattles my cage. That CSU blog sure did though.
Comment by Arthur Andersen Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:03 pm
Let them eat cake, Louie!
Comment by Ethan Hawk Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:34 pm
@mytwocents,
The IBHE has standards as to how to classify employees and how this is to be reported.
If the public universities follow those standards then there is no discrepancy. If they do not then that is another matter.
Comment by Federalist Wednesday, May 27, 15 @ 8:43 pm
The IBHE??? Not sure why they even exist. Why don’t we have a department of education that encompasses ISBE, IBHE and ICCB. And “IF” the public universities follow standards is a big if. I doubt that they do.
Comment by LuaghingJane Thursday, May 28, 15 @ 8:57 am
@Laughing Jane,
I have sympathy for your points and largely agree.
Notice that I used the word “If”.
However, it does not change my answer to mytwocents.
Comment by Federalist Thursday, May 28, 15 @ 12:13 pm
More adjunct faculty means more money for us. Yay!
Comment by lovecraft Thursday, May 28, 15 @ 4:29 pm