Meet Margaret. Margaret is a 42-year-old mother of three and a housekeeper at N.C. State University. Margaret is hard working and takes pride in her job. So she could send her children to college, Margaret took on a second full-time job at night. For her contributions to our community, Margaret’s annual pay is approximately $22,000. Like all state employees, Margaret will receive a 4 percent pay increase — a whopping $880.
Contrast Margaret’s situation with that of N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger. Oblinger, and his counterpart at UNC-Chapel Hill, James Moeser, will receive a 15.7 percent raise. With the additional $53,035, Oblinger and Moeser will pull in $390,835 annually. That figure does not include benefits or the state-owned mansions the chancellors occupy — the same mansions Margaret and her colleagues clean. Other UNC system chancellors received increases up to 13 percent.
Oblinger’s direct supervisor, UNC President Erskine Bowles, authorized the chancellors’ salary increases. Bowles has been quoted as saying that he is passionate about keeping people in place throughout the UNC system. Bowles too received a hefty promotion — 9 percent. The UNC Board of Governors will now pay Bowles $463,250 per year.
Does anyone else see anything wrong here? The salaries of administrators are spiraling out of control, while at the same time, average workers like Margaret can barely keep up with inflation and the rising costs of health care. These are the same administrators who increase our tuition and fees, yet lie about their necessity.
They are the same administrators who commit fraud, such as James Renick, the chancellor of N.C. Agricultural & Technical State University, but can’t figure out how to maintain basic student services. Bottom line — they are robbing the taxpayers of the state and students of the greater university to fund their outlandish paychecks.
Bolwes has noted that chancellors get offers from other universities all the time and that he wants to keep the UNC chancellors are their respective campues. So what? Who cares? I find it hard to believe other institutions are knocking down the doors to recruit UNC system chancellors. It’s the same misleading argument used to justify exorbitant tuition increases — which will soon be on the way again.
And if it were true; let them leave. I’ll show them the door. I guarantee we will have more than our fair share of qualified applicants to fill their positions. I would rather have less experienced leaders who were passionate about the University than those who were only concerned about their pay relative to their peers.
So I have an idea — let’s cause a scene — let’s protest! On Thursday, Sept. 27, Oblinger will deliver his “State of N.C. State” address at 3 p.m. in Stewart Theatre. Most will go to learn about the “University’s vision of how N.C. State will meet the needs of a rapidly changing world through education, dedication and continued collaboration.”
But we should attend for a different reason — to support Margaret and the thousands of other University employees who are treated as third-class citizens. If you believe as I, then join us on the 27th. Let us stand in solidarity with those who give so much to our community, yet are overlooked because the rich white men who control our University think they are better than everyone else.
Are you going to stand arm to arm with Andrew? Tell us; e-mail your position to [email protected].
