Highest paid at City College share pain of budget crisis

By Hannah Weiner FEATURES EDITOR

All City College administrators with annual salaries over $150,000 received a 6 percent pay cut as of Sept. 1.

The decision, settled through the board of trustees, was made to implement a “no step increases” policy on the salary scale.

Chancellor Dr. Don Q. Griffin said the cuts aim to save $275,000 for the current fiscal year.

“There was some unhappiness about the decision,” said Linda Grohe, president of administrators and associate dean of the John Adams campus. “It was a significant change, and people felt that it shouldn’t have been done the way it was. It came as a bit of a shock because no one had any idea their pay was going to be cut.”

“These are very difficult times,” Joseph Kelleher, management assistant at the John Adams campus said. “My concern is now that they’re cutting administrative salaries, will they cut faculty salaries next?”

According to Grohe, the board passed the amendment and then asked Chancellor Griffin to implement the cut.

“There was no vote or anything like that,” Grohe said. In addition, she said that as of right now, she has not heard of any plans about where these saved funds will be designated.

“The board reallocated the funds, but to be honest, I’m not sure what they did with them,” Grohe said, though she added that City College’s intention is to try and save classes and programs.

While all administrators who made over $150,000 were subject to the cuts, it was specified by the board of trustees that original wages would be restored for those administrators who opted to retire.

“As of right now the cuts are on the books until 2010,” Grohe said.