Los Angeles, CA -- Assemblymember Portantino, Chairman of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, made the following remarks in response to the actions taken by the UC Board of Regents today:

“In light of intense public pressure, intense media scrutiny, and outrage from students and staff, the UC Board of Regents appears to have reversed course on a shortsighted proposal to increase Chancellor salaries 33%,” said Portantino.  “It is unfortunate that it takes a rally to get the Regents’ attention.  Students, families, and California taxpayers should consider today’s retreat a victory as we continue to fight for scarce resources for the University of California.  I hope the Regents have come to realize that these compensation increases for some of the highest paid state officials breads public distrust and makes the job of securing additional funding for UC that much more difficult.”

As of late Tuesday evening, the UC Board of Regents Committee on Compensation appeared ready to recommend a salary increase for all campus Chancellors of 15%, to be followed by a series of salary increases amounting to $3 million over four years.  However, citing the need to gather additional data “in order to set appropriate targets, criteria, and methodology,” the Committee decided against forwarding the proposal to the full Board of Regents.

Portantino continued, “It is quite astonishing the Board would even consider such a lavish increase at a time when student fees have nearly doubled since 2001 and the rest of the state braces for severe budget cuts.  Even more confusing is the claim that this 33% across-the-board salary increase is intended to ‘address particular recruitment and retention needs,’ despite the fact that the University has only one acting Chancellor and the rest of the positions filled.  With a median Chancellor salary of $374,000, exactly whom are we concerned about retaining?  The actions taken today acknowledge that the University has not done its homework and cannot justify this lavish pay raise, especially as the rest of the state is being asked to shoulder this budget burden.”