The article which follows preceded my comments on greed, starting with "Greed 101, Teaching Greed". It is fair to say the student newspaper incited me, but of course my thoughts on greed have been with me for a long time. I'm making the article available because it is a takeoff point for my comments, and its presence will make my references more transparent.

      "The system does not reward hard work," said Leon Zurawicki, professor at the College of Management. According to Zurawicki, salary rates of professors at UMass Boston, especially in the College of Management, often reflect a professor's previously held administrative position rather than the quality of the professor's current work. The policy of the university, according to the Provost, is to retain "COLA/merit adjustments earned for performance" when an administrator takes on a faculty position. According to Zurawicki, the general policy for determining the salary for faculty previously in administrative positions is to award nine-elevenths of the administrative salary to the faculty member. This is intended to reduce the salary by two months' pay.

      According to Zurawicki administrative salaries start at much higher levels than professor salaries, so faculty members that pass through administrative positions achieve large salary increases not based on their work as professors.

      This is true also for faculty members who take on administrative positions and then return to faculty positions. Zurawicki said this policy makes it very difficult for professors who refuse administrative positions to achieve the salary levels of professors who do. Zurawicki said even regular merit increases can not close the salary gap.

      When asked in writing if he thought this was an equitable way of governing salaries, Esposito [the provost] replied, "It is not relevant to compare an increase based on the additional length of the appointment to merit increases which are based on performance."

      Chancellor Penney was also given a list of questions, but did not respond, although a representative from the Provost's Office said that Esposito and Penney were in agreement over these issues.

      One of the many examples Zurawicki cited was that of Betty Diener. According to Zurawicki, she was originally hired as provost of the campus, but after a short term in that position, she began teaching one class as a professor. Zurawicki said she recieved a $70,000 salary from the university for her work as a professor and, through the university, an additional $50,000 paid by a private institute of which she served as the director.

      However, the salary records at the Healey Library show that in 1996 Diener was scheduled to earn only $47,000 as a professor and $79,000 from the private institute.

      One librarian said he thought the records seem to be arranged in a deliberately confusing manner. In these salary records, two sections list employees and their salaries. One list is in alphabetical order, listing the budgeted salaries of UMB employees. The other section lists the actual salaries paid. The order appears to be random, although [it] is said to be according to Social Security number. The differences between the budgeted and actual salaries can often be disparate [substantial?].

      Both Chancellor Sherry Penney and Provost Louis Esposito declined comment regarding the hiring and salary of Betty Diener. Esposito, in a written statement, said "It is difficult to comment on any merit awards granted to a specific faculty member."

      Zurawicki said Diener, like others hired for administrative positions from faculty positions at other institutions, bargained to be hired with tenure. The Provost said tenure is only granted when a faculty member demonstrates substantial achievement in his or her field.

      According to Zurawicki, when Diener was challenged as a candidate, she cited as proof of her qualification an article she had published. Zurawicki said that he looked into the issue of the article, and it turned out to be a letter to the editor. Zurawicki further said that Diener has received very few merit increases since her time as a professor.

      Zurawicki thinks there are other professors who object to the university's salary practices, and he hopes they will also make themselves known. He said he estimates that 3 or 4 percent of the campus budget is spent on salaries over $100,00. He said, "Some people should justify the money they make."