UPDATE: Board of Regents Retreating On Pay Raises

From the state Board of Regents for Higher Education, which is re-thinking pay raises recently awarded to top staff:

Chairman of the Board of Regents, Lewis J. Robinson, and President Robert A. Kennedy today issued the statement below responding to recent media reports.

“First, Executive Vice President Michael P. Meotti has chosen to forgo his raise in salary. We appreciate this action, and have agreed to it. The Board of Regents will be reviewing all other personnel salary adjustments that were made on the basis of additional duties, responsibilities, and roles assigned resulting from the consolidation.

“Secondly, it’s important to us to apologize for any miscommunication that has occurred between the Board of Regents central office and the community college presidents. In trying to provide any community college presidents who do not support our change agenda a way in which to depart amicably, it was instead mistaken for a buy-out or, worse, a push-out. That was never the intention, and for that, we apologize.

 “Let us be clear, too, that the presidents who may not support the Board of Regents’ agenda should not have their commitment, motives and dedication questioned. Change is difficult and our agenda – meeting the needs of every student in Connecticut through the consolidation of governance structures, a reform of remedial education and the implementation of a new transfer and articulation policy to name a few – may not be for everyone. However, we continue to thank each of the 17 presidents for their work and effort on behalf of public higher education in the state, and, most importantly, our students.”