Justified?
http://www.smh.com.au/national/educ...-with-vicechancellors-pay-20120604-1zs7t.html
http://www.smh.com.au/national/educ...-with-vicechancellors-pay-20120604-1zs7t.html
WITH a salary of more than $1.1 million, Macquarie University's vice-chancellor, Steven Schwartz, took home more last year than two counterparts at other universities combined, the most recent annual reports show.
Professor Schwartz's $1,184,661 remuneration includes a $300,000 ''long-term bonus'' on top of another $162,240 bonus. His package for 2011 is worth more than those of his counterparts at the universities of Wollongong and New England and is also more than double the Prime Minister's salary ($481,000).
Annual reports for the 2011 financial year were tabled in NSW Parliament last week. All 10 universities in the state achieved operating surpluses, the University of NSW netting the highest surplus of $88.9 million, followed by the University of Sydney with $88.5 million.
Macquarie and the University of Sydney have announced major staff cuts for 2012. The vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, Michael Spence, earned $911,575: a base salary of $744,143, including use of a university-owned residence, and a performance bonus of $167,432.
Macquarie University did not comment on Professor Schwartz's salary other than that it was in accordance with his contract.
The NSW branch president of the National Tertiary Education Union, Genevieve Kelly, said the salaries did not send a good message when staff at many universities were facing job losses.
''One of the big problems with the vice-chancellor being so high is you also have another level of bureaucracy immediately under the vice-chancellor of very highly paid DVCs [deputy vice-chancellors],'' she said.
A spokesman for the University of Sydney said that salaries for Dr Spence and other members of the executive had actually decreased since 2010 and that the NTEU had lodged salary claims for a 28 per cent increase over four years or 7 per cent a year.
Third on the list is Fred Hilmer of the University of NSW, whose $847,599 does not include a performance bonus. Professor Hilmer's salary had increased 4 per cent, in line with a general staff increase, a spokeswoman said.
The Auditor-General, Peter Achterstraat, released his report into the financial health of the universities at the same time the annual reports were published. He found each institution would face major capital expenditure and liabilities for leave and superannuation this year.