Friday, August 29th, 2008

Board discloses new salaries

In what University of California officials called evidence of the university’s commitment toward transparency, compensation for three newly appointed senior officials was released to the public Friday shortly after their appointments during a special closed meeting of the UC Board of Regents.

The board named Wyatt Hume as provost of the UC system, officially giving him the position he has been temporarily filling since former Provost MRC Greenwood, who was later found to have violated UC conflict-of-interest policies, resigned last November. Hume took on the interim position while already serving as the UC’s executive vice provost and vice president for academic and health affairs.

As provost, Hume will hold the second-highest post at the UC, second only to the president. His duties will include overseeing academic planning, research, and health and academic policies at the university. Hume will also serve as senior vice president for academic affairs.

Plagued by controversy over senior compensation in recent months, during which a series of sharply critical reports have found dozens of flaws in the UC’s policies, officials were careful to immediately disclose the salary actions made by the board after they were decided upon in closed session.

“We’re committed, as a part of all the issues regarding compensation, to transparency and full disclosure. The action taken today is a step in that direction,” regents chairman Gerald Parsky said.

The UC decided Hume will earn a salary of $362,500, a 23-percent increase over his current base salary of $295,000.

In a separate appointment, Marie Berggren, who has been the acting UC treasurer since last July, was appointed new chief investment officer and vice president for investments, filling positions that have been vacant since July 2005. She will also continue to serve as acting UC treasurer and will receive an annual salary of $375,000, a 34.5-percent increase over her current base salary of $278,800.

UC officials said Hume and Berggren will receive additional compensation, including automobile and entertainment allowances worth thousands of dollars, as well as other benefits.

The regents also named Jeffrey Blair, who has served as university counsel since 1989, as acting general counsel of the regents and acting vice president for legal affairs for the UC Office of the President. Blair will be replacing current General Counsel James Holt until a permanent replacement can be found.

Blair will receive an administrative stipend of $67,200 that will raise his current annual salary of $149,500 to $216,700.

Though UC officials said they are committed to public disclosure of senior compensation, they have maintained that salary discussions need to be kept in closed session to protect employees’ rights to privacy. In recent months, the salary actions taken by the board have been released to the public almost immediately.

The regents met via phone teleconference to make the three new appointments. Parsky said holding the special meeting demonstrated the importance of filling those positions.

UC President Robert Dynes said the three senior officials have proven themselves as devoted and extremely competent administrators.

With regard to Hume’s appointment, Dynes said the UC is “very fortunate to have a person of such great integrity, skill and devotion to the university.”

As the newly appointed provost, Hume said he is looking forward to helping to shape the academic mission of the UC and that he is “both deeply honored and excited” to work with the regents, students, faculty and staff of the UC.

The university is still working to fill several other positions, including UCLA’s chancellor. Outgoing Chancellor Albert Carnesale is set to step down June 30, and the chancellor’s search committee is scheduled to meet today in Oakland to continue its search.

Parsky said the regents will discuss these positions during the next regularly scheduled meeting in July.