Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

In a better time, long ago, those who served in positions such as chancellors… Dear Editor:

In a better time, long ago, those who served in positions such as chancellors at publicly funded universities did so with a great degree of altruism, the rewards of public service and accomplishment being far more important than the financial rewards and fringe benefits of the position.

Sadly, in today’s world, things are quite different, as we learn with each public notice of the obscene compensation packages afforded Pitt Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

By every account, Chancellor Nordenberg is a bright, highly intelligent, educated, dedicated, industrious, hard-working chancellor, whose presence has benefited the University and the University community immensely. Notwithstanding his unquestioned talent, however, where does reasonableness and fairness come into the salary and benefits picture? When one heads a public university which consistently increases tuition, which always has its hand in the pockets of state taxpayers for massive subsidies, and through its tax-exempt status, seeks every benefit which companies in private industry do not have available to them, when does a certain amount of compensation become excessive?

Few would argue that Chancellor Nordenberg does not deserve a comfortable living, an amount of compensation that places him far above that of most Americans. His salary, however, has just been increased to in excess of $400,000 per year, and he is provided a benefits package that is the envy of those of us who do not reside in a world of fantasy. Few would contend that he is owed the life of a king, particularly at the expense of students and taxpayers who are subsidizing it.

Particularly at a time when the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is sending the chilling message that there is not adequate money available to fund true regional assets, our public libraries, it is shameful that the state stands fully behind paying an amount of compensation to Nordenberg which is a disgraceful affront to all of us who contribute to it. Dating back to the disgraceful reign of greedy Chancellor Wesley Posvar, Pitt University boards have consistently demonstrated that they will always be inclined to expectorate in the face of Pitt students and state taxpayers by providing shameful compensation packages to university chancellors. It then becomes incumbent on the Chancellor to say, “Enough is enough; I am not going to take any more money.” Shame on Nordenberg for not having the decency to diffuse this highly charged issue by acting honorably and accepting a salary which is not only fair and reasonable to him, but to those who fund it.

Oren M. Spiegler

Upper St. Clair, Pa.