All Tenn. state employees got a 3 percent pay raise this year EXCEPT for 
the worthless pieces of shinola who work in higher ed and the even more 
worthless one percenters who chipped in to give their colleagues a little 
extra.  Now we discover that Beloved Leader Kim Il Petersen is up for a 
five percent raise back-dated to July 1.  You see, unlike funding 
professorships, chairs of excellence, and post-tenure review, his merit pay 
plan, which is NEVER applied to administrators, is excessively meritorious 
because it doesn't cost anything.

UT trustees vote on budget requests

By DARREN DUNLAP, [log in to unmask]
November 4, 2006

The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees on Friday voted to seek an 
additional $23.5 million in faculty and staff salaries next fiscal year and 
give UT President John Petersen a pay raise.

Board trustees will also seek $165 million in capital improvements next 
year and approved $216 million in revenue-funded projects.

UT officials will ask for the additional employee salary money in the 
university's 2007-2008 operating budget request to the Tennessee General 
Assembly. Petersen said it was UT's top "priority" in the next operating 
budget.

"You keep hearing that we're not competitive with other states," said 
Trustee Jerry Jackson.

The $23.5 million would provide a 5 percent increase in overall salaries 
for use as a pool for providing employee raises. There are 16,444 employees 
in the UT system, not including student workers. The additional funds would 
be used to retain faculty, reward employees and raise salaries to a 
competitive level.

Petersen will get a 5 percent pay raise, retroactive to July 1. He asked 
the board not to review his salary in July until a salary plan for faculty 
and staff was in place.

"I thought that was a very considerate move on his part," said Andrea 
Loughry, board vice chair.

Petersen's annual salary is $399,228. A 5 percent raise would bring it to 
$419,189. He'll also get \an additional $5,000 annually for his expense 
account and a retention bonus of $50,000 on the sixth year of his employment.

His contract includes $50,000 per year for five years in retention bonuses 
that would not be paid until the fifth year.

Trustees also approved a midyear compensation plan for UT employees and 
four senior staff members. The compensation will come from within campus 
budgets this fiscal year.

The raises for senior staff members will not exceed more than 10 percent a 
year, he said. Petersen indicated that the four senior managers' salaries 
were "substantially lower" than the salary range for their respective 
occupations.

In addition, the board approved student fees for the UT Martin Recreation 
Center, the UT Chattanooga Wellness Center and a capital outlay and 
maintenance budget request for 2007-2008.

The appropriation request would require the approval of the state 
Legislature and additional funding.

The proposed capital priorities for 2007-2008 on UT's Knoxville campus 
include $32 million for the Cherokee campus, $30 million for the Music 
Center, $25.7 million for renovations to Strong Hall, and $20 million in 
improvements to the speech pathology and audiology clinic. The request 
includes $9 million for an addition and improvements to UT's Veterinary 
Hospital.

A request for a new library at UTC would be the largest outlay at $48 
million. A new library is "one of UTC's most-urgent needs," said UTC 
Chancellor Roger G. Brown.

Maintenance requests for next fiscal year total $35 million and include 
improvements at campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin and Memphis. The 
largest is a request for $3.8 million for improvements to the Humanities 
building on the Knoxville campus.

Board members approved 29 revenue-funded projects totaling $216 million 
dollars. Though the projects don't require state funding requests, the 
state Legislature has to approve them. Top items include $45 million each 
for Neyland Stadium renovations and a sororities building.

Darren Dunlap may be reached at 342-6334.

Copyright 2006, KnoxNews. All Rights Reserved.



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