Overpaid and Unapologetic

I’m confused: Can someone tell me who the most important university system stakeholders are? Students, right?
Wrong.

According to the Sept. 4 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article “No recession in college pay,” the number of staff members in the University System of Georgia that make six-figure salaries increased 30 percent between 2007 and 2010, and employees who make at least $200,000 rose 46 percent.

As students, we constantly hear the sad violin stories about USG budget cuts, but for what?

The USG has increased its spending from $5.4 billion in 2007 to a projected $7 billion for 2011 — according to the article — and found that the solution to their spending issue is to jack up tuition and fees. This is not working for me — no — this isn’t working for us.

Why in the hell are we supporting the USG’s compulsive spending habit? Of course, colleges and universities want the cream of the crop in administrators and professors, but the fear of losing them to schools that may pay more should not be resolved by increased salaries — there are other options.

Lower the tenure eligibility age for well-qualified professors. Make a shorter probationary period before an employee is offered a permanent job contract. Offer sound insurance benefits to complement their current salaries.

Why isn’t the USG breaking its neck to keep the best and brightest students in the system? Let's not forget that UGA tuition is on the rise and has increased by 50 percent since 2008, as the article points out.

If it wasn’t for us, there would not be a need for a university system in the state of Georgia. Along with taxpayers, we help pay university employee salaries.

What bothers me the most is how these administrators and professors seem to take the pay raises without any consideration for the increased costs it has for the students who make their jobs relevant. They can sleep well at night while we’re up late scrambling to fit in homework and papers after working minimum wage job shifts to offset the unfair charges posted to our student accounts every semester.

You have to be as pissed as I am. I’m listening.