Rutgers students discuss reactions to President Barchi's raise
Rutgers President Robert L. Barchi has been awarded an extra $97,000 to his annual salary, which provoked the interest and opinions of many University students.
President Barchi was awarded a $97,000 annual bonus earlier this month after a closed-door meeting in New Brunswick, which included members of the Rutgers Board of Governors, according to NJ.com. He is the highest-paid public college president in the state and ranks 12th in the nation.
Rather than complain about his salary increase, students should demand a better allocation of the total amount of money the school has, said Hans Rojas, an Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy third-year student.
Money should go toward ending on-campus crime or to the science departments, Rojas said.
Kishan Patel, an Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy third-year student, asked why Barchi received a big raise. The money that went to his raise could have been used somewhere else, he said.
"His raise might be due to the co-mingling of RBHS but that process has been going on for years," Patel said. "And if he is getting awarded for that then it would not be fair because a lot of people have been involved with that so just raising Barchi’s salary is not fair to the other people who have worked just as hard."
Roilan Martinez, a School of Engineering junior, said Barchi should not have received the raise because student tuition is increasing.
The raise was awarded to Barchi based on his job performance between July 2014 and July 2015, according to The Daily Targum. While his contract allowed for this bonus, he did not ask for it. The Board of Governors made the determination to award him the bonus.
With the salary bonus, Barchi will make more than $676,000 per year. According to Forbes, The Ohio State University's President Gordon Gee had a base pay of $851,000 in 2013.
The role of president comes with many responsibilities, said Diane Cardose, a School of Arts and Sciences senior.
"I do not understand why he got a raise, I have never even seen his face," said Rachel Abill, a School of Arts and Sciences first-year student. "How does he get a raise if he does not even connect with the students?”
Barchi annually answers student questions at RUSA meetings in the spring. Since Barchi took over as University president, Rutgers has joined the Big Ten Conference and opened a new Honors College on the College Avenue campus.
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Sofiya Nedelcheva is a School of Engineering first-year student. She is a contributing writer for The Daily Targum. Follow her on Twitter @n_sofiyaaa for more.
