Pay cuts are never a popular decision, and since reading the memo sent out from the President’s office regarding faculty and staff furloughs and temporary pay cuts, the critical thinking wheels inside our collective heads have been turning.
Of course, we don’t want to immediately attack DeCoudreaux for her decision to enact temporary pay cuts for the rest of the fiscal year — this decision was made partially as a result of the problems inherited from the previous administration. Also, this decision — although technically made ‘behind closed doors’ — is described in great detail in the memorandum, and there is even a possibility for Mills community members to submit their ideas or comments on the decision and budget situation through a Budget Suggestion Form, available on the Mills website.
The Campanil staff is saddened to see faculty and staff have any cut in pay, as they are what makes our magical Mills world go round, but we understand the necessity of balancing the budget to avoid things, such as even further tuition increases.
We want to commend DeCoudreaux for including herself in the cuts and furlough days and even taking the highest cut. However, we would also like to point out that the President does make considerably more than every other College employee. In fact, she makes almost $150,000 more than everyone else, with a yearly salary of $390,504.00, according to the 2009 990 tax form for Mills. Vice President Ramon Torrecilha weighs in second with $250,254 annually and Provost SandraGreer comes in third with $199,556 every year.
Maybe the gigantic salary discrepancies of high-up administrative officials could be decreased to make lasting budget changes.
We’re not trying to pick on DeCoudreaux. We realize she has a lot on her plate. We just hope that this is the last penalty faculty have to suffer, although the cap on their retirement funding is supposedly going to last forever — a new policy that many of us at The Campanil disagree with.
There are some other places where spending could be cut: Did Founders really have to renovated this year? New couches are cool and all, but supporting faculy and staff is far more important. We encourage those in power to pursue alternatives to furloughs and pay cuts in the future.
