December 9, 2011

University of Texas Law School Dean resigns "under pressure."

I don't know what that's all about, but...
In an interview, Sager characterizes the faculty compensation issues as "circumstances that undermine" the success he has achieved at the law school. He says he became a dean at a time when nontransparency regarding faculty compensation was the norm at UT and other law schools. But during his tenure, he says, "transparency began rolling in" and "the transition between transparency and nontransparency" created problems. Specially, in the 2009-2010 academic school year, he says he shared compensation information with a budget committee composed of faculty members but due to privacy concerns, he allowed only a subcomittee to see one-time loan arrangements with certain faculty members. Subsequently, some faculty members sought and received the open records information regarding compensation, he says.
Loan arrangements... the transition between transparency and nontransparency... One can only speculate about the discord that... rolled in....

Look, you can see their salaries.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

What, exactly, is the difference between a "forgiveable loan" and a grant?

rcocean said...

Look at the names, I wonder how many were born in Texas.

rcocean said...

Isn't the UofT a public university? So why wouldn't all the salaries by public as a matter of course?

MadisonMan said...

13 librarians on staff. Wow. Plus a library director and an administrative assistant.

MadisonMan said...

It does seem like UT Law School is immensely large. Look at all those professors!

I hope they are graduating at least 1000 lawyers a year with all those teachers. Clearly there is a critical need for lawyers in Texas.

The Drill SGT said...

MadisonMan said...
13 librarians on staff. Wow. Plus a library director and an administrative assistant.


I could understand the spread in salaries for the Law profs.

The spread from Acting Law Library Director @ $250K to the staff Librarians looked gaping.

Crimso said...

"Loan arrangements?"

To use one of the all-time great Seinfeld lines: "Is this customary in your legal system?"

bagoh20 said...

The Ocupoo protesters should be protesting these salaries. That's why they can't afford college.

Imagine if colleges had to guarantee their product like other industries. In my business, we guarantee our products for life. If it breaks we just send you a new, even if it's 20 years since you bough it.

Could you imagine the University customer service desk fielding the refund calls all day? "I bought your degree, and it just isn't working. When I push the start button, I get nothing, no lights, no sound...nothing. I'd like my money back."

To which they answer: "Well, it's only designed to work when you stay in the university."

madAsHell said...

He was trying to be "more fair" to some than to others.

bagoh20 said...

"forgivable loans" Those must be what I've been giving family and friends for years. They assure me they just want a regular loan. I can't imagine expecting the money back if you called it "forgivable" from the start.

traditionalguy said...

The Adjuncts survive on 60K while the Dean pulls in 374K. It reminds me of Airline pilot salary structures.

Of course, Dean's are politicians. Adjuncts are the teachers of students.

Wally Kalbacken said...

I'll take the title of "Seldom Visiting Scholar" and about $150 large, please.

edutcher said...

Well, we know the Loan Arranger was once a Texas Ranger.

carrie said...

John Robertson taught at the UW Law School when I attended. I thought he was a great professor and I always assumed he left UW (in 1980 or 1981) for UT because of money. How do UT salaries compare to UW salaries?

David said...

So the Dean gets 100k more than the top profs?

Leadership.

Alan said...

Traditionalguy,

The "adjuncts" on that list "surviving" on $60,000 are also in private practice. I know three of them on the list, and no way is $60,000 anything near their total compensation. Nowhere near. It's a nice little bonus for teaching the occasional class at their alma mater.

David said...

Tax experts, why aren't these "forgivable" loans taxable income when disbursed? Sounds like a possible sham loan to me.

MadisonMan said...

How do UT salaries compare to UW salaries?

UW salaries seem lower to me.

Clinical Profs get about $100K -- at most. Asst Director of the library gets short of $100K. The Dean here get $300Kish. I don't think any Prof gets more than $200K. Asst Profs here are under $100K (vs. $150K at Texas). So you make more money in Texas.

Downside: Summer.

sorepaw said...
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sorepaw said...
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The Drill SGT said...

MadisonMan said...

Downside: Summer.


Lived in Texas, and agree. On the other hand, having recently come back from San Anton,

Upside: Winter

Portia said...

I think I'd survive on any of the salaries. I'll take lowly law clerk for 60,000, please.

Anonymous said...

The Ocupoo protesters should be protesting these salaries. That's why they can't afford college.

I was shocked to find out that the president of my undergraduate alma mater makes more than $1 million at a small liberal arts college with only 1,000 students, 100 faculty, NO research, NO legislative headaches, NO athletics to speak of and NO summer school. A million dollars to do far less than what's required of department heads at any mid-level regional university.

Also, salaries of public employees can be found at this Texas Tribune page: http://www.texastribune.org/library/data/government-employee-salaries/

(Sorry, don't know how to hyperlink.)

MadisonMan said...

Upside: Winter

I don't mind the cold -- you can always add layers. What I do mind here is the darkness. TX has about an hour more of sunlight this time of year. That would be nice.

But! Today is the earliest sunset in Madison. Here come the longer sunlit evenings :)

Zach said...

The "forgiveable loans" are retention bonuses. The professor buys a house, and the loan is forgiven if and only if he stays on the faculty a preset number of years.

Generous, but not corrupt. And possibly a good idea if you're hiring people with a lot of suitors and few ties to the area -- it's not like law professors have expensive lab equipment or grad students tying them to one particular school.

Zach said...

That said, there's no end to the mischief and ill spirits that can arise if some people are getting paid off the books (the money came from private donations, not taxpayer money) while official salaries are frozen. That means that everybody who doesn't get a bonus will feel picked on and taken advantage of.