In light of recent uproar over Ohio University’s administration pay increases, Student Senate invited several top administrators to provide an explanation.
Senate asked Pam Benoit, executive vice president and provost, and Stephen Golding, vice president of Finance and Administration, to next Wednesday’s meeting in response to comments they made in April regarding potential budget cuts.
“This is a subject that students are concerned about,” Senate President Zach George said in a statement. “Hopefully, by inviting VP Golding and Provost Benoit to the meeting, they can answer the questions the students have.”
The Board of Trustees voted to increase OU tuition by 3.5 percent in April. Before the vote, Benoit told senate in April that if the increase were not approved, buildings such as Baker University Center, Alden Library and Grover Center would have to be closed because the university would not be able to pay the utility bills.
“If there is not a tuition increase, we will have to cut budgets,” Benoit said in April. “I think we’re at a breaking point.”
Now, Student Senate’s executives are concerned that Benoit’s grim assessment in April doesn’t match the recent salary increases for several administrators. Officials including OU President Roderick McDavis, football coach Frank Solich, Benoit and Golding all received raises. OU’s top 10 paid employees make almost a half-million dollars more than last year’s top 10 paid employees.
However, Chad Mitchell, interim budget director of finance, said Wednesday the buildings would not have been shut down and Benoit’s statements were not meant literally.
“Nobody was putting forward a proposal that we desire to shut down Baker Center, Grover and Alden,” he said. “This was intended to show how cuts would not work.”
The administration was also looking to use the extra funds to give faculty members pay raises, stating that budget cuts would have cut nine percent of the faculty, Benoit said in April.
“It’s important to have good instruction in the classroom,” she said. “Good quality education is at stake.”
The university is working to ensure the affordability of education for students, Benoit said.
“We’re working really hard to make sure that students will have financial aid to support their education,” she said in April.
Members of the Senate said they feel disrespected by the pay increases after the recent tuition hike.
“Raises were not put on the table,” George said. “It’s conflicting.”
Ann Fidler, chief of staff to Benoit and Golding, said a chunk of the tuition increase was used for salary increases.
