University of Western Ontario senior academic and non-academic administrators taking a one-year salary freeze say “it was the right thing to do” to lessen the financial constraints of the university’s operating budget and reduce the need for layoffs.
The university recently announced 26 senior administrators, including vice-presidents, vice-provosts, deans and university librarian, and associate vice-presidents will not see an increase in their pay for 2009-10.
Since the announcement was made Jane O’Brien, Associate Vice-President (Human Resources), says more academic and administrative leaders have come forward and volunteered for a salary freeze.
“I think there is strong support for helping the organization through this difficult time, so I think the senior managers, leaders, are looking to do their part in helping as we move forward,” she says.
Susan Grindrod, Associate Vice-President, Housing & Ancillary Services, is among the 26 senior administrators receiving a salary freeze in the upcoming academic year.
She says university leaders need to show their support during challenging times.
“My feeling is it is up to senior leaders to show some leadership, which I think we’ve done,” she says. “I just wouldn’t be comfortable with any kind of increase when I know there are people who are going to lose their jobs.
“It’s a bad time, but we are going to weather it just fine at Western. I think it was the right thing to do.”
Similarly, Lynn Logan, Associate Vice-President Financial Services, says senior managers need to lead by example.
“From a leadership perspective, certainly we need to set the tone. I think we were all quite willing.”
Deans of all faculties also unanimously volunteered to a freeze in total compensation for 2009-10, “in support of a collective effort across the university to tackle this problem.”
A statement provided by the deans says “all current deans continuing beyond June 30, 2009 and the university librarian unanimously agree to a freeze in total compensation for 2009-10.”
“I’m very much on board with this,” says Social Sciences Dean Brian Timney. “I don’t think it’s going to save a lot of jobs, being one-time money, but it does give us the flexibility to perhaps save in other areas.”
Given the size of cuts the university needs to make, Timney says the salary freeze by deans and senior administrators would be a small amount, but if all faculty members were to chip in, the opportunity to save jobs could become a greater reality.
Timney will be making a request of his faculty members of voluntarily donate back a portion of their increases this year.
The freeze is being implemented in response to the financial challenges the university is facing due to the downturn in the global economy and impact on Western’s endowed and non-endowed funds.
This measure is also being taken with Western entering a new period of spending restraint. Between 2001 and 2007 total operating revenues and expenses have grown on average by seven per cent, a rate of growth the university says is not sustainable.
“We are doing all we can to reduce employee layoffs,” President Paul Davenport said in announcing the salary freeze.
“We have introduced an early retirement program for university staff and we have asked faculties and support units to not fill vacant positions. Senior administrators must also do their part to help the university through these difficult budgetary times, and I am pleased that they strongly support this initiative.”
The idea of the freeze was also raised with non-academic senior managers. But because non-academic AVPs report to several VPs, they haven’t met as a group to discuss the freeze. When told about the idea, everyone of that group agreed.