What’s done with passion is done well.
Earlier this month, ASU President Michael Crow reminded students that faculty and staff have not received a pay increase in four years. He’s been making this argument for years, including reminders that faculty must take unpaid furloughs to make up budget shortfalls. This becomes a dubious claim when contrasted with ASU’s annual financial report, which shows revenues up almost $400 million from 2008. Indeed, ASU is doing well enough to give some of its administrators and deans substantial raises.
Crow wasn’t one of them, however. According to 2010-11 salary data, Crow received a raise of $1,827. That’s still a lot, considering that 66 percent of U.S. workers make less than $39,539 annually. But, it’s nothing compared to his $600,000 bonus from the Arizona State University Foundation.
The most substantial raises went to his lucky lieutenants, such as James Rund, the vice president of student affairs, who went from making $250,502 in 2008 to $275,000 in 2010. Rick Shangraw, who is now the chief executive officer of the ASU Foundation, went from making $215,280 in 2008 to $267,000 in 2010. Both of these men saw pay increases with a change in title as well: Rund went from vice president to senior vice president, while Shangraw went from vice president of research and economics to senior vice president of the office of knowledge enterprise development.
The title changes — and titles — are indeed dubious, but they’re presumably what justify the raises when the rest of the University is on a pay freeze. Other cases, though, are less clear-cut. Mark Jacobs remains the dean of Barrett, The Honors College and saw a raise from $204,003 to $216,013. That’s modest by some standards, such as the dean of Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, Kwang-Wu Kim, who went from $199,000 to $235,000. These men have the same title in the 2008 and 2010 salary data, indicating no apparent promotion.
Christopher Callahan is the dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and went from $200,650 in 2008 to $231,000 in 2010. Debra Friedman, the vice president and dean of the College of Public Programs, received a raise from $189,050 in 2008 to $218,000 in 2010.
On the other hand, Amy Hillman switched roles.
Hillman was promoted from the chair of management to the dean of the W. P. Carey School of Business, receiving a raise from $231,063 to $310,000.
There is a problem. ASU’s annual personnel report says the University does what it calls “selective salary adjustments” to keep certain employees from leaving ASU.
One of those employees included Richard Rogerson, a Regents professor from the business school, who received a raise from $294,724 to $495,000.
Part of the problem is that Crow has been lying to students and staff about raises for the past four years. The larger problem, though, is that he has to incentivize staff to stay. If a 30 percent raise is necessary to retain an employee — let the employee go. Students want faculty who want students — not money. High-end faculty won’t make ASU the New American University. Passion will.
Reach the columnist at whamilt@asu.edu
Click here to subscribe to the daily State Press newsletter.
