University of Georgia President Michael Adams and two other college presidents are getting raises at a time when the University System of Georgia is dealing with about $300 million in state budget cuts.
Adams' deferred compensation will increase from $150,000 to $200,000 under action the state Board of Regents took earlier this month. This makes him the system's highest paid president at $660,318, an amount that includes salary, housing and other allowances. The increase is effective July 1.
Had the regents not approved the increase, Ricardo Azziz, president of Georgia Health Sciences University, would have been the highest paid, with a compensation package worth $650,000. Georgia Tech President G.P. "Bud" Peterson follows at $590,000.
The regents rewarded Adams to acknowledge he is "president of the flagship institution and our longest-serving research university president," university system spokesman John Millsaps said Tuesday.
Adams has led UGA since 1997. UGA officials declined to comment and referred questions to Millsaps.
Albany State University President Everette Freeman and Fort Valley State University President Larry Rivers will see their total compensation packages increase from $198,456 to $225,000, Millsaps said.
The two presidents, who have been in their positions for about five years, had been the lowest-paid among presidents leading similar colleges, he said. The increase puts them on par with recent hires, he said.
Some questioned the raises, considering students will see tuition and fees increase by about 9 percent this fall.
Students said they're paying more and getting less as colleges eliminate course offerings and other services because of budget cuts caused by the recession.
"This is so unjust and completely ridiculous," said Clara Green, a member of the student activist group Georgia Students for Public Higher Education. "There are drastic cuts on campus and some students can't even afford to go to college anymore and they're giving higher salaries to people who already make a lot of money."
The raises send the wrong message, said Rep. Ed Rynders, R-Albany. He has questioned university system spending and this year introduced a resolution that would prohibit the system from increasing tuition and fees at rates that exceed inflation without approval from lawmakers.
"This is not the perfect time to give pay raises," Rynders said.
Newly elected regents Chairman Benjamin "Ben" J. Tarbutton III said the raises allow the presidents to remain fairly compensated in a competitive market.
"We don't want some of our longer-serving presidents to be lesser paid than people we just hired," Tarbutton said.
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