While salary increases for administrative positions have become a recent trend among higher education, Boston University spokesman Colin Riley insists BU doesn’t follow the policy.
“We don’t follow trends,” Riley said. “But [the Presidency] is a very competitive job.”
According to a survey conducted by the Weekly Chronicle of Higher Education, former BU president Jon Westling’s salary for 2000 was $422,384, while the average private college president’s salary was $207,130. Chancellor John Silber, also acting with the duties of president while the Board of Trustees searches for a candidate, lives in a University-owned residence in addition to his salary.
Riley declined to disclose any information about current salaries at the University.
However, Fred Foulkes, director of the Organizational Behavior Department at the School of Management, explained BU receives the bulk of its money from tuition, grants, gifts, and certain fees. Funding the president’s salary would simply be a matter of allocation, Foulkes said.
“[The presidency is] complicated, has high responsibilities and the rewards have to be more competitive than they have been,” Foulkes said.
Foulkes contrasted the recent competition in salaries of higher education to the recent issues regarding baseball players’ salaries. He also described Silber as someone who cared a great deal about the University and probably would not be doing the job for the money.
“[Silber is] extremely committed to the University and his responsibilities,” Foulkes said. “I can’t imagine that he would turn down the job just because he didn’t get a raise.”
Some students felt BU was acting more as a business than a university. Joshua Vinitz, a College of Communication junior, pointed toward the Kenmore Square area as an example.
“It’s more evident than ever that universities are businesses first and places of higher learning second,” Vinitz said.
Riley disagreed, stating, “Higher education is not private corporation.”
Other students said they thought the increases were positive.
“I think it’s a good idea. After all, the University needs to be just as acutely aware of cash flows as any other institution,” said School of Management sophomore Adam Hogge, noting the recent drop in the BU endowment.
CAS sophomore Julia Knittel said if raises were taking place at BU, as they were at many other colleges, the increase could hurt the University’s programs.
“The school is already having budget problems which could damage important programs, and to increase pay to the administration would hurt this even further,” Knittel said.