MnSCU, U of M ponder what to pay their next leaders - Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio

There will soon be openings for the top jobs at the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Some of the people doing the hiring say the starting salary they offer may be higher than what they're paying system leaders now. If MnSCU wants to offer more to their next chancellor, they'll need to go to the Legislature next session and ask permission to offer a raise. The first stop would be the legislature's joint committee on employee relations. One of the commission's members last session, Republican state Sen. Gen Olson, of Minnetrista, isn't sure now is the time for such a request. "Just because somebody else, some other system or some other state is doing it -- I think we have to consider Minnesota and what Minnesotans want too," she says. Olson says if MnSCU and the U of M want to increase the already healthy salaries of their presidents, they also need to convince taxpayers it's necessary.