by NASH DUNN
News Reporter

Former Appalachian State University Chancellor Frank Borkowski resigned June 30, 2003.

Starting July 1, 2003, he was granted a one-year research leave, during which he would continue to receive his full Chancellor salary.

Effective July 1, 2004, Borkowski could return to a full-time tenured position at Appalachian and receive 60 percent of his Chancellor’s salary or decide to retire.

Although Borkowski returned, former East Carolina University Chancellor William Muse, who also stepped down in 2003, did not, costing taxpayers more than $57,000 that he was paid during his three-month research leave.

Borkowski and Muse are just two administrators out of more than 100 who have used the UNC-system “retreat rights” policy over the last six years, accumulating a total of more than $8 million, according to a report by The News and Observer.

The “retreat rights” policy allows administrators who are stepping down up to a year of research leave before returning to a lower-level faculty position. Most administrators retain their previous pay during the leave, and in some cases are paid more when they return to lower-level positions than associate faculty.

The most striking part of the policy is that ex-administrators are not required to return, making the hundreds of thousands of dollars that taxpayers fork out for leaves at risk for inappropriate usage.

The paid leaves should stay accessible to administrators, but the UNC Board of Governors need stricter guidelines and regulations on leave specifications, as well as the profitability of payments. 

Administrators being paid to re-educate themselves should not be paid what, in most cases, is over $100,000 if he or she will retire or not return. If the administrator is stepping down, the guidelines of his or her leave must be detailed before a paid leave is handed out.  

If the former administrator does return to a lower-level faculty position, there is no reason that individual should be paid significantly more than another educator in the same department.

It’s understandable an administrator may have more experience than an adjunct educator in the department, and thus, be paid more. But when a former administrator is being paid nearly twice the amount of adjunct educators, something must change.  

The Board of Governors met Friday to discuss and possibly tighten its restrictions over the policy. Although most board members spoke about the topic, there was dispute over the policy, mostly regarding the length of the paid leaves.

In response to UNC President Erskine Bowles’ six months fixed leave proposal, board member Irvin Roseman said a fixed leave would not benefit the policy.

“I think you need to look at the person as an individual and what it would take to retool the individual,”

Roseman said in an article published by The News and Observer. “I think the president needs the flexibility to make it six months, a year, whatever.”

Although the paid leaves are excessive monetarily, Roseman’s approach to the length of the leave makes sense.

Some fields and departments may experience more change and research than others, so forcing a transitioning administrator to six months research is not fair.

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