University Presidents: "Registration fees must rise" (while they get 19% increase!!)

Utopian Hermit Monk · #1 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

College chiefs' warn registration fees must rise

Quote:

COLLEGE chiefs have warned that a huge hike in registration charges -- now €1,500 a year -- is necessary to avert a funding crisis.
...

UCC President Dr Michael Murphy yesterday said Irish universities were "very disappointed" by the Government's failure to follow the lead of most Western countries in opting for third-level fees to support university finances.
...

Dr Murphy's comments were last night backed by the president of Dublin City University Dr Ferdinand von Prondzynski. He said the costs of providing the student services were at least 50pc higher than the income from the current charge of €1,500.

Anger as university staff get pay rises of up to 19%

Quote:

Ireland's university staff have received recent pay increases of up to 19%, the Sunday Tribune can reveal. And because the rise was due to be implemented two years ago, many top-brass and professors are currently receiving backdated payments as well. The huge increases at a time of widespread cutbacks in the education sector have been criticised by the Irish Federation of University Teachers.
...
This means over 400 professors in Ireland are in the process of receiving a pay increase of 5.5%. Bursars and secretaries will receive a rise of up to 5.1%, and presidents such as Hugh Brady at UCD and John Hegarty, the provost of Trinity College Dublin, a rise of 19%.

A spokesperson for the Department of Finance confirmed that now the unauthorised allowances have been cleared. "The Department of Education is in a position to award the rises," he said. He added however that the funding for the rises would not be coming from the Department of Finance, saying, "If universities can manage it in their own budgets, then so be it."
...
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe recently expressed his anger that university heads were still unwilling to take a voluntary pay cut. He said, "I would have exhorted the university presidents to take the appropriate cut. One would have expected that people in such senior positions would do the right thing."

This 19% increase should see most of the university presidents comfortably over the €300,000 line!

Some of the 400+ 'professors' will be earning over €400,000!

And, apart from anything else, what the heck is a small country doing with over 400 overpaid 'professors' (many of whom do precious little academic work), while some Primary School children are still in dilapidated prefabs?

Where is the Union of Students in Ireland when their voice is needed? They (and the lower paid academic and admin staff) should be bringing the universities to a standstill until the scandalous rip-off by the corrupt clique at the top is sorted once and for all!

.

politicaldonations · #2 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

These guys wouldnt get 100k in America or Europe.

Chrisco · #3 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

1) This story is two weeks old (indeed older).
2) Your maths are a bit dodgy. How does 5% on top of 130k bring you over 300k or 400k?

They still shouldn't be paid though; the 7 university presidents have all ignored the Minister's request for them to take a voluntary pay cut.

Utopian Hermit Monk · #4 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrisco

1) This story is two weeks old (indeed older).

Indeed it is.
I had it on my 'things to post about' list, fully expecting that there would be a national outcry by now.
In fact, there has been hardly a whimper.
Sometimes I am tempted to believe that this country fully deserves to be in the present mess.

Quote:

2) Your maths are a bit dodgy. How does 5% on top of 130k bring you over 300k or 400k?

No, my maths are fine.
Last year, for example, Michael Murphy, President of UCC, received over €270,000.
An increase of 19% will bring that to over €320,000

In addition to their salaries, most of the Presidents are also in receipt of generous 'expenses' and luxurious on-campus housing.

Some professors were already receiving over €300,00 last year (with at least one in UCD already getting over €400,000).

.

He3 · #5 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

Did the universities take on commitments beyond their capacity to fund?

Utopian Hermit Monk · #6 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by He3

Did the universities take on commitments beyond their capacity to fund?

The inflated salaries are a major part of the problem.

I posted the following on another thread, back in April:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utopian Hermit Monk

Todays Indo

Irish academics earning up to double UK counterparts

By Katherine Donnelly

Wednesday April 01 2009

IRISH university professors are paid almost double the salaries earned by their counterparts in Britain.

Other academics here are also far ahead in the pay stakes, with their massive salaries outstripping even those paid at Oxford and Cambridge.

University top earners are enjoying massive pay packages in spite of the relatively low positioning of Irish universities in international league tables....

Irish university presidents' salaries were outshone by 29 high-fliers who are in receipt of exceptional remuneration deals, sanctioned by the Higher Education Authority, to attract them into key positions.

The Irish Independent recently revealed the top earner last year was UCD vice-president for research, Professor Des Fitzgerald, whose package is potentially worth up to €495,000-a-year.

However, this was restricted to €409,000 because a performance bonus was withheld on cost-saving grounds.

In 2007/08:

* University professors in Ireland were paid an average of about €136,000 compared with a UK average of €75,459 -- and €88,593 in Cambridge and €81,514 in Oxford.
* Senior lecturers in Ireland had an average salary of €82,668 compared with a UK average of €50,024.
* Lecturers in Ireland had an average salary of €67,502, while the UK average was €41,153....

And they still have the nerve to scream about being under-funded!! Irish academic scam merchants need to be reined in.

.

He3 · #7 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utopian Hermit Monk

The inflated salaries are a major part of the problem.

I posted the following on another thread, back in April:

.

How do their borrowings stack up against their capacity to repay?

politicaldonations · #8 (**permalink**) 8th November 2009

Not suprising as everyone in PS is overpaid by obective comparision. Private sector is overpaid too but they are adjusting rapidly and thats a problem for comapny shareholders and not taxpayers once comepetition exist in given market.

Chrisco · #9 (**permalink**) 9th November 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Utopian Hermit Monk

Indeed it is.
I had it on my 'things to post about' list, fully expecting that there would be a national outcry by now.
In fact, there has been hardly a whimper.
Sometimes I am tempted to believe that this country fully deserves to be in the present mess.

No, my maths are fine.
Last year, for example, Michael Murphy, President of UCC, received over €270,000.
An increase of 19% will bring that to over €320,000

You referred to professors, not Presidents.

Quote:

Some professors were already receiving over €300,00 last year (with at least one in UCD already getting over €400,000)
.

Can you provide a link to this, as professors are paid on a national pay scale, which does not go anywhere near 300k.

Sync · #10 (**permalink**) 9th November 2009

According to this the average professor's rate is about 169k Provost set to receive 19 percent pay rise - Trinity News

Again, as with all roles in the country, we should price check it against the UK and the rest of europe and reduce the payscale accordingly.

I agree with the reintroduction of fees, but to bundle it together with wage increases is ridiculous.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
University Presidents vote “Yes” to secure future of Higher Education	The Red Rose of Cork	Lisbon Treaty	4	25th September 2009 06:49 PM
Time to increase University participation	odie1kanobe	Education & Science	14	29th January 2009 11:43 PM
Third level fees = higher registration fees.	David Cochrane	Education & Science	44	8th October 2008 08:21 AM
University fees are back on agenda says O'Keeffe: Times	kerrynorth	Education & Science	127	26th September 2008 12:15 AM