How Administrators Took Over The Academy Of California
Sunday, March 22, 2026
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In the UC system, nosotros ask keep a saying, “When 2 administrators walk into a room, 3 ever walk out.” The inquiry as well as then is how make administrators reproduce as well as what outcome does their reproduction ask keep on the University of California. While I volition non force the mating habits of administrators, I volition demonstrate how the growing ascent of the administrative flat agency less coin for everyone else, higher pupil fees, as well as a loss of shared governance.
According to a 2008 UCLA Faculty Association report, “Over the past times decade, the numbers of Administrators inwards the UC almost doubled, piece the release of faculty increased past times 25%. The sharpest growth took house amid Executives as well as Senior Managers: 114%. Because Administrators ascendence high salaries as well as benefits, whatsoever increment inwards their release higher than the expected growth charge per unit of measurement for the University results inwards high costs: crude oil estimates of the costs of carrying extra administrators at UC arrive at around $800 million.” The starting fourth dimension matter to stress hither is that during the concluding decade, every bit the release of students increased inwards the UC system, at that topographic point were fewer faculty to instruct them, but many to a greater extent than administrators to run the show. In this structure, ability shifts to the administrative class, piece the faculty are pushed out of shared governance. Moreover, due to their high compensation packages, administrators suck upwardly the funds that could go spent on faculty salaries as well as reward for the lowest paid workers.
As I pointed out inwards a previous post, “In 2008, at that topographic point were 397 administrators inwards the over 200k gild making a full of $109 million, as well as inwards 2006, the same grouping had 214 members for a collective gross pay of $58.8 million. This grouping as well as its collective salaries, then, almost doubled inwards only 2 years.” Not alone has the administrative flat grown inwards numbers as well as the percent of the budget they eat through their salaries, but during the electrical flow menstruum of “fiscal emergency,” nosotros ask keep seen several 1000000 dollars spent on increased compensation for administrators.
UPTE has documented that during the same regents coming together where a financial emergency was declared as well as the furlough arrangement was approved, hundreds of administrators got compensation increases, which came nether the shape of administrative stipends, supplementary retirement contributions, houses, low-interest mortgages, automobile allowances, slush funds, airfare (for non work-related travel), relocation expenses, as well as salary-range adjustments (for a detailed listing of all of the increases, click here). Thus, piece President Yudof says at that topographic point ask keep been no salary raises, he is non mentioning all of the dissimilar ways that administrators are beingness compensated. Moreover, these highly compensated individuals are alone having their base of operations pay reduced past times the furlough system, as well as thus the bulk of their compensation is non beingness taxed.
One of the most egregious examples of how administrators terminate upwardly costing the academy thus much coin is the hiring of the novel Chancellor at UC Davis. Linda Katehi’s salary is non alone 27% higher than her predecessor, but the outgoing chancellor volition go paid $315,000 per year, piece he volition go on administrative leave. The onetime chancellor volition also learn a novel executive assistant, who volition brand over $91,000 (not including benefits). In other words, past times getting a novel chancellor, UC Davis volition ask keep to pass an additional one-half a 1000000 dollars a year.
Let’s recall that these incredible compensation deals are beingness made during a fourth dimension when the UC president says nosotros ask keep no coin thus nosotros volition ask keep to all ask keep pay cuts as well as students fees volition ask keep to learn upwardly 42% inwards ane year. It should go obvious to anyone that UC does non ask keep a budget crisis; it has a crisis inwards leadership.
According to a 2008 UCLA Faculty Association report, “Over the past times decade, the numbers of Administrators inwards the UC almost doubled, piece the release of faculty increased past times 25%. The sharpest growth took house amid Executives as well as Senior Managers: 114%. Because Administrators ascendence high salaries as well as benefits, whatsoever increment inwards their release higher than the expected growth charge per unit of measurement for the University results inwards high costs: crude oil estimates of the costs of carrying extra administrators at UC arrive at around $800 million.” The starting fourth dimension matter to stress hither is that during the concluding decade, every bit the release of students increased inwards the UC system, at that topographic point were fewer faculty to instruct them, but many to a greater extent than administrators to run the show. In this structure, ability shifts to the administrative class, piece the faculty are pushed out of shared governance. Moreover, due to their high compensation packages, administrators suck upwardly the funds that could go spent on faculty salaries as well as reward for the lowest paid workers.
As I pointed out inwards a previous post, “In 2008, at that topographic point were 397 administrators inwards the over 200k gild making a full of $109 million, as well as inwards 2006, the same grouping had 214 members for a collective gross pay of $58.8 million. This grouping as well as its collective salaries, then, almost doubled inwards only 2 years.” Not alone has the administrative flat grown inwards numbers as well as the percent of the budget they eat through their salaries, but during the electrical flow menstruum of “fiscal emergency,” nosotros ask keep seen several 1000000 dollars spent on increased compensation for administrators.
UPTE has documented that during the same regents coming together where a financial emergency was declared as well as the furlough arrangement was approved, hundreds of administrators got compensation increases, which came nether the shape of administrative stipends, supplementary retirement contributions, houses, low-interest mortgages, automobile allowances, slush funds, airfare (for non work-related travel), relocation expenses, as well as salary-range adjustments (for a detailed listing of all of the increases, click here). Thus, piece President Yudof says at that topographic point ask keep been no salary raises, he is non mentioning all of the dissimilar ways that administrators are beingness compensated. Moreover, these highly compensated individuals are alone having their base of operations pay reduced past times the furlough system, as well as thus the bulk of their compensation is non beingness taxed.
One of the most egregious examples of how administrators terminate upwardly costing the academy thus much coin is the hiring of the novel Chancellor at UC Davis. Linda Katehi’s salary is non alone 27% higher than her predecessor, but the outgoing chancellor volition go paid $315,000 per year, piece he volition go on administrative leave. The onetime chancellor volition also learn a novel executive assistant, who volition brand over $91,000 (not including benefits). In other words, past times getting a novel chancellor, UC Davis volition ask keep to pass an additional one-half a 1000000 dollars a year.
Let’s recall that these incredible compensation deals are beingness made during a fourth dimension when the UC president says nosotros ask keep no coin thus nosotros volition ask keep to all ask keep pay cuts as well as students fees volition ask keep to learn upwardly 42% inwards ane year. It should go obvious to anyone that UC does non ask keep a budget crisis; it has a crisis inwards leadership.