Raises For SC College Presidents?

YES … EVEN S.C. STATE

|| By FITSNEWS || South Carolina’s “Republican” legislators love to complain that they can’t perform the core government function of road and bridge maintenance … yet they’ve got hundreds of millions to blow on “higher education.”

Not only that, they’ve apparently got so much cash laying around they can afford raises for numerous “higher educrats” – including the president of embattled S.C. State University (SCSU).

According to the version of the budget being debate in the S.C. Senate this week, SCSU’s president (who is currently on paid administrative leave) would make $173,400 in the coming fiscal year – up from $170,000.  That’s a modest increase, obviously, but does anyone in their right mind believe this is appropriate?

SCSU is a disaster, people …

Meanwhile University of South Carolina president Harris Pastides – who has presided over skyrocketing tuition, plummeting academics and failed command economic boondoggles – will see his state salary climb from $286,200 to $297,648.  Pastides also makes more than half a million a year from a USC foundation – pushing his salary above $800,000 annually (with huge bonuses in store in future years).

Also getting a raise in the proposed budget?  Former S.C. Senate president Glenn McConnell – who was recently chosen as president of the College of Charleston.  McConnell would see his state salary (which is also supplemented by foundation money) climb from $179,498 to $188,000.

Does he deserve a raise?  Ummm …

Across town, the commandant of The Citadel – South Carolina’s government-funded military college – would see his state salary climb from $151,200 to $157,248.

All of these “higher educrats” receive generous taxpayer-provided benefits as well as state-subsidized lodging in addition to their salaries, by the way …

This website has consistently maintained that South Carolina’s bloated, duplicative, inefficient and ineffective college system should be immediately privatized – as  higher education is simply not a core function of government.

These salary hikes are the latest evidence of that …

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