University president turns down pay raise

The president of the University of Louisville in Kentucky turned down a pay raise and bonus worth over $100,000 due to state budget cuts that the university is absorbing.

Yes, you read that righthe turned down money in a show of leadership. The decision also means that president Dr. James Ramsey is no longer Kentucky’s highest paid university president.

Instead of receiving the six-figure pay hike that was expected, Ramsey is taking a $700 raisethe same as faculty and staff.

Imagine that: a university president who turned down a raise at the same time as he is forced to cut student services.

My experience here in Canada is that cutting student services, cutting courses and sticking students in classrooms of 500 (which we consider ourselves lucky just to be able to get a seat in) results in record pay for administrators.

I wonder which model is better?

For the record, the U of L’s Ramsey will earn a salary of just over US$330,000.