By Dave Lucas
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Albany, NY – Senate Higher Education Committee Chairwoman Toby Stavisky, presided over a committee meeting Friday afternoon on the recent pay increases and housing allowances granted to some of State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher's deputies. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas was there and files this report.
Chancellor Zimpher was heavily criticized after The SUNY Board of Trustees approved 30-thousand dollar annual salary increases for three employees last week, giving them new titles and designating them as members of the University Executive Committee. She defended the pay hikes, saying the three got the raises because they're getting additional responsibilities. Zimpher told the committee she's come up with a compromise: she and her senior vice chancellor will join two other employees in giving up their housing allowances totaling 2-hundred and 49-thousand dollars to cover her leadership team's raises.
Zimpher's plan doesn't require approval of the Higher Education Committee. She added that the practice of offering housing allowances is being discontinued. United University Professions President Phil Smith testified at the hearing. He says that while UUP does not normally comment on SUNY's executive compensation, he felt compelled to speak out given the lack of advance public disclosure of the raises and the harsh economic climate SUNY students and their parents face.
SUNY Board of trustees Chairman carl Hayden hailed the decision by Zimpher and her staff to gibe up their housing allowances as "an example of bold and creative leadership in a time of immense economic stress."
Senator Kevin Parker vocalized his concerns regarding diversity among SUNY professionals, and he noted that while top-level officials were being given raises, security at SUNY Central in downtown Albany had been terminated.
Senators Parker and Stavisky asked SUNY officials to supply a number of dcouments pertinent to the afternoon's testimony. The matters will be reviewed by committee at a later date.