Open the books at universities
Published Monday July 28th, 2008
The salaries paid to New Brunswick's premier and leader of the official opposition are a matter of record. They are public servants, and as such, information about the remuneration they receive is available to every New Brunswick.
That's not the case for the presidents of N.B.'s four public universities - at least, not yet.
While the University of New Brunswick, Université de Moncton, St. Thomas University and Mount Allison University receive about $200 million a year in public funding, they are run as independent and competitive institutions. This has led to a certain reluctance among administrators to divulge what they're being paid.
The presidents aren't necessarily opposed in principle. Dr. Michael Higgins, the president of St. Thomas University, is accustomed to seeing his salary published, having worked at an institution in Ontario where such information was routinely disclosed. But even St. Thomas is unwilling to release its executive salary figures unless the other universities do likewise.
It's a mystery why the universities think confidentiality is a good policy. New Brunswick's educational institutions are competing internationally for students and donors. Commitment to transparency and accountability is a competitive advantage, which is why more colleges and universities are making such information available.
There are two reasons to hope the veil of secrecy will soon be lifted. Post-Secondary Education Minister Ed Doherty has promised changes that will make university administration more open and accountable. And, by July 2010, universities will be required to comply with New Brunswick access-to-information laws, along with municipalities and other public institutions that are currently excluded.
Given these impending changes, university administrators should take it upon themselves to open the books and show taxpayers how public funding is being invested in their institutions. That is the burden of accountability associated with spending public funds.
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