Following a Face the State investigation into the six-figure salaries of CU administrators, Jessica Corry of the Independence Institute's Campus Accountability Project is calling on CU to implement voluntary pay cuts for top officials.
"If Wall Street CEOs who agree to take government money have to take a pay cut, our public university officials should have to follow suit," said Corry, referencing the recent decision by President Barack Obama to limit executive compensation for bank officials seeking government bailout funds.
As Face The State's investigation revealed, UC Denver Chancellor M. Roy Wilson could make up to $718,115 in 2009. Wilson is one of more than 2,000 of CU's 14,000 employees earning above $100,000 annually.
In a Thursday press release (PDF), Corry announced she sent a letter to CU President Bruce Benson calling on him to look closely at employee salaries before asking for taxpayer handouts or raising tuition. "While CU students have faced back-to-back tuition increases, too many CU administrators are still raking in six-figure salaries and bonuses," she added. "We simply cannot justify this type of compensation when so many Colorado families are hurting."
Note: Corry also serves as an editorial contributor to Face the State.