Eastern Michigan University to freeze administrator pay
Eastern Michigan University plans to freeze administrators' salaries for the next fiscal year as part of its effort to deal with a projected cut of at least $11.4 million from the state.
President Susan Martin made the announcement in a message to faculty and staff. She said the pay freeze was part of initial actions the university is taking to deal with an expected 15 percent cut in its state appropriation.
Besides freezing the pay of all employees not covered by union contracts, Martin said the university would also eliminate cell phone reimbursements except for public safety employees.
Susan Martin
The salary freeze affects about 260 employees of the university, said Todd Ohmer, assistant to the vice president for business and finance at EMU. Ohmer said that represents a savings of $580,000, assuming the employees would have received a 2 percent raise next year.
Ohmer said a 1 percent raise for administrators was delayed from July 1 to Jan. 1 this year. Administrators were also eligible for a half-percent bonus.
Ohmer also said in the 2009-10 fiscal year, the 100 top-paid administrators did not receive a raise. The rest received raises ranging from 2.5 to 3 percent.
Cutting the cell phone reimbursement will save about $200,000, Ohmer said.
Gov. Rick Snyder has proposed significant cuts to the state appropriation to universities. Under the plan, the state would cut EMU's appropriation by $11.4 million or 15 percent if EMU keeps its tuition increase at 7 percent or less. If the university increases tuition by more than 7 percent the cut would be $14.7 million. Tuition for next year is expected to be set at the board of regents meeting June 21.
For the current fiscal year, EMU kept its tuition and room and board rates flat.
The university announced April 15 it would increase room and board rates for next year 2.15 percent.
The university will hold a budget forum Wednesday, May 4, from 10-11 a.m. in its Student Center Auditorium.
Cindy Heflin is a news producer at AnnArbor.com. Reach here at 734-623-2572 or cindyheflin@annarbor.com.
Comments
Ickwbu
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 11:59 a.m.
Does this mean she's turning down the raise she got this year?
Lovaduck
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 12:52 a.m.
EMU can be proud of itself. Would that the other universities would do the same!
Chris Goeth
Mon, Apr 25, 2011 : 8:25 p.m.
Point of Information...Oakland University administrators have been on a salary freeze for 2 years officially and in some departments 3 years.
A2lover
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 1:05 p.m.
Good luck with that, especially U of M.
schultz2005
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 11:38 p.m.
Well it is about time .. now let the University of Michigan and the community colleges do the same.
A2lover
Fri, Apr 22, 2011 : 12:59 p.m.
You kidding! U of M might freeze staff salaries but never the top administrators, and the faculty very minimal raises. The University is too arrogant and egotistical to do anything that might reflect other university changes or policies.
Cash
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 10:16 p.m.
Leading by example!! Have we seen this ANY WHERE else???? Kudos to President Martin by taking the lead in sacrifice. What a refreshing idea...seems like a few other...um...local entities could listen to her! (One giving their new superintendent a HUGE raise without even being asked!)
catfishrisin
Thu, Apr 21, 2011 : 8:58 p.m.
Will be interesting to track this and compare the "sacrifices" being asked between academic and non-academic functions. Did somebody mention football?