Top positions receive salary increases

In the wake of a 2.5 percent pay increase for IU support staff, several top IU administrators received pay increases July 1, bringing a record number of salaries above the $200,000 mark. \nBill Stephan, vice president for university relations and corporate partnerships, told The Associated Press that market factors played a significant role in the pay increases. Stephan said a big factor was staying competitive with offers from other universities and the private sector.\n"We work aggressively to try to retain and attract high-performing faculty in a competitive marketplace," Stephan said.\nThe raises were part of an annual budget that was approved by the IU board of trustees.\nTrustees President Frederick Eichhorn said there are many reasons for the pay increases.\n"The reasons are various," Eichhorn said. "One would be the cost of living. The second reason would be a merit basis for the increase."\nHe also said that while it appears that the raises were given to most high positions, they were considered and awarded on an individual basis.\n"The individuals are looked at by the deans of the schools and by the various supervisors," Eichhorn said. "They make overall recommendations to the board of trustees, which we then allot to individuals."\nAccording to The Associated Press, 32 administrators will now make over $200,000, up from 25 administrators during the 2003-04 school year.\nIU President Adam Herbert is currently the highest paid employee on the Bloomington campus. The recent pay increase brought his salary to $345,050. Vice President of Administration and Chief Administrative Officer and Athletics Director Terry Clapacs' salary was increased to $300,900 from $295,800. Dan Dalton, professor and former dean of the Kelley School of Business, now earns $292,738, an increase from $284,184. Ken Gros Louis, interim chancellor and senior vice president for academic affairs, now makes $270,000. Figures on previous salaries of President Herbert and Chancellor Gros Louis were unavailable.\nTrustee Patrick Shoulders said the money for the pay increases is being paid for by the same funds as all other budget considerations.\n"The money for the raises, just like any of the expenditures, comes from governmental funding, governmental contracts and tuition," Shoulders said.\nPeter Kaczmarczyk, executive board member with the Communications Workers of America local, the union that represents clerical and technical workers, said the decision to give raises to members of faculty is understandable.\n"I think faculty members deserve to be well paid and I don't have a problem with that," Kaczmarczyk said.\nHowever, Kaczmarczyk said it is frustrating to see so much money tied up in administrative salaries when the workers he represents are also in need of higher increases.\n"It's frustrating to see so much money at the top when we have to struggle so hard to get decent wages at the bottom," Kaczmarczyk said.\nRandy Pardue, president of Local 832 of the American Federation of State, which represents IU's service workers, said he agrees.\n"In a time of budget cuts and strict rationing, it is unfortunate to see double-figure pay increases for some positions in the administration," Pardue said.\nSupport staff workers also received raises July 1, but to a lesser degree. According to the Associated Press, 841 full-time employees of the support staff currently make less than $25,000. That number has decreased by 250 since last year as a result of $650 pay increases to the lowest-paid workers at IU, a decision made by Herbert.\nKaczmarczyk said these administrative raises will be given close consideration as union workers approach the next fiscal year.\n"We'll may pay more attention to those figures next year when we're pushing for a salary raise for the support staff," Kaczmarczyk said.\n-- Contact Campus Editor Karen Green at kamgreen@indiana.edu .