MATT VOLZ
Editor in Chief
During open sessions held by Interim Provost Judith Horowitz on Thursday, Sept. 25, the topic of pay raises was brought up.
Horowitz was asked about her six-figure salary, and she responded by asking the student if they knew how much was in her bank account.
“I hear what you’re saying, and I understand the implication,” she said. “Would anyone in this room work for free? No. I won’t either.”
Horowitz also said that, as of now, she is unaware of any raises being discussed for Management/Confidential (M/C) employees.
M/C employees differ from other faculty, such as professors or custodians. The primary difference is that while other employees are protected by unions and are entitled to annual raises, M/C employees do not receive those benefits.
President Stephen Kolison explained that M/C staff typically work on fixed salaries and aren’t always guaranteed yearly raises.
M/C positions include administrators such as deans and chief officers; the university’s president and provost also fall under the M/C umbrella.
Because M/C employees do not belong to unions, all of their pay raises are authorized by SUNY first.
“Every year, SUNY says to campus presidents, ‘We are allowing you to give your M/Cs a raise if you want, up to 3%, but you have to go find the money for it,’” she said. “I’ve been here 12 years, and I can tell you that there have been many, many years that M/Cs have not been given raises.”
Kolison confirmed the provost’s statement, saying that M/C employees were not given raises in four of the past six budget years.
“In limited cases where adjustments occurred, they were tied to changes in employment status (for example, when an interim appointment became permanent) or to address salary compression or instances when a person’s salary was much lower than others with similar titles and job duties in SUNY,” Kolison said.
He said that in 2024, he invited members of his cabinet to voluntarily contribute 0.5% to 1% of their salaries to support student scholarships, a move he described as “a commitment unique to Fredonia’s leadership team and uncommon among public institutions.”
While there is no confirmation of whether there are upcoming raises for M/C staff, documents obtained by The Leader detail raises that were recently given out, mostly in March of this year.
Most employees on the list received a raise of 3%, consistent with Horowitz’s earlier statements.
However, two employees in the President’s Office received a much higher percent raise, including Kolison himself.
According to a letter signed by SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr., Kolison received a pay increase to $299,750, effective Jan. 1, 2025.
His former salary was $275,000, an increase of 9%.
Kolison confirmed that while all other raises for M/C employees are at his discretion, any pay increase given to him is decided at the state level, which is why his letter came from King.
The other significant increase went to Dr. Naomi Baldwin, Fredonia’s Chief of Staff and executive assistant to the president.
Baldwin’s pay increased from $118,978 to $129,000, an increase of roughly 8.4%.
However, it is important to note that the primary reason for Baldwin’s pay increase was a change in title, as she received the raise upon accepting the higher position.
Still, raises for employees at the discretion of Kolison may raise eyebrows considering Fredonia’s financial issues.
As of late September, Fredonia still faces a deficit of $6,937,016.
Although it may seem like eliminating raises for M/C employees could help, it’s hard to imagine it being more than a drop in the bucket.
The total dollar amount of pay increase given to M/C employees was $110,448.
That’s no small chunk of change, but it is still only 1.6% of Fredonia’s current deficit.
To alleviate the deficit, further program cuts will be seen in the near future.
In December 2023, 13 programs were discontinued, a slashing that’s projected to save the school roughly $750,000.
Horowitz said in her Sept. 25 session that everything was on the table, including M/C positions.
She added that other cost-saving measures are being considered, such as reducing the campus’s energy bills or reducing travel.
Kolison said that future raises for M/C employees will depend on multiple factors and that everything will tie into the goal of financial sustainability.
“Historically, this group has been asked to defer raises during lean budget years, and while this is never ideal, such prudence is sometimes necessary,” he said. “We must strike the right balance between fiscal discipline while positioning Fredonia as an attractive regional employer and driver of economic opportunity.”
For now, the future remains unclear, but further cost-cutting measures appear to be on the table in order to ensure Fredonia’s long-term sustainability.
“Balancing fiscal responsibility with fair and competitive compensation is an ongoing challenge, particularly during periods of financial constraint,” Kolison said. “SUNY Fredonia’s goal is to maintain a compensation structure that recognizes employee dedication while sustaining the long-term health of the institution.”
Students are encouraged to contact Horowitz’s office with any concerns about potential program cuts.