Dear Editor,
After reading the recent articles regarding both the salary our new president earns and the methods by which the University at Buffalo pays him, I am inclined to ask, "Where's the beef?" I mean honestly, who cares?
First, I need to address the amount that the University at Buffalo is paying our new President. It is true that he currently makes roughly $800,000 a year, but why is that wrong? How else can the University at Buffalo be expected to compete as a top national institution without paying their president as such?
His pay, as was recently pointed out in a graph published in The Spectrum on April 20, is roughly equivalent to the presidents of some of the top universities in the country including the Universities of Michigan and Virginia. What's wrong with that?
Keep in mind that only $350,000 of the president's salary comes from the State of New York. The rest comes as an incentive for the president to perform as a fundraiser to the best of his abilities. If Buffalo wishes to maintain its place as a top tier university, it must continue to pay its officials whatever is necessary to attract the very best talent.
Next I need to ask why does it matter whatever portion of our president's pay comes from the University at Buffalo Foundation? This organization is a fantastic institution devoted to the University's success. They are working to make sure that the University at Buffalo continues to be regarded as one of the finest research institutions in the United States.
The Foundation supplements our president's salary in order to make sure his pay is commensurate with his position. Not a penny of their funds comes from student tuition. However, a portion of their profits does come from profits off of university apartments, which they manage and deservedly take a profit.
The vast majority of the Foundation's funds come from investments and private alumni contributions. The Foundation provides our University with the means to achieve great success, through the graduate student and research funding they consistently provide.
In short, our new president is making exactly what he deserves as one of the most sought after university administrators in the United States, and the fact that his pay is supplemented by the Foundation is both a blessing and a gift. I suggest that the students here stop feeling disgusted, and appreciate just exactly what they are getting - a world-class education at a fantastic university.
Mark Detwiler
JD Candidate 2013
Letters to the Editor are not edited by The Spectrum.
