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The Daily Tar Heel

Limit retreat rights: Payouts given to administrators cost the university system money, should be reevaluated

UNC-system President Erskine Bowles is right to lobby the Board of Governors to limit the scope of retreat rights.

This term is used to describe the movement of a senior university administrator to a faculty position and the compensated paid time off between posts. “Retreating” administrators may contractually retain a large portion of their administrative salary during this time period.

For example, after leaving the office of the chancellor, James Moeser took a year to retool and prepare for his new position within the music department. This year, he received full administrative pay, totaling $390,835.00.

And as a music professor, he receives 60 percent of his former administrative salary indefinitely. Retreat rights are not unique to the UNC system.

To keep pace with private university salaries, the UNC system often uses “retreat rights” as an additional incentive in benefits packages.

But Bowles is right to question this practice. While it is an attractive recruiting tool for top administrative posts, these perks can drive up administrative costs.

Since 2004, 27 administrators and department chairmen have taken advantage of retreat rights, costing the state $547,980.50 and the University $227,669.69 in private funds.

When compared to other competitive state university systems, the UNC system is very generous in its retreat rights. Chancellors, deans, provosts and department chairs are all eligible for one year of leave and higher salaries upon returning to the faculty.

Compare this to the University of California system, which only allows senior management paid leave. They must also remain in a faculty position for a fixed amount of time to receive these benefits.

In the University of Georgia system, only presidents are eligible, and paid leave is individually negotiated.

And in the University of Wisconsin system, administrators must submit sabbatical proposals to show what work will be accomplished during the paid leave.

In a letter to the Board of Governors, Bowles calls for shorter leave periods, greater accountability and up-front “work product” agreements to ensure administrators-turned-faculty are producing.

Directives like retreat rights are a good idea when state funds are plentiful and ensure public universities can stay competitive with private schools.

But in a time of hiring freezes and budget cuts, the UNC system must rein in its current practice to guarantee efficiency and accountability.

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