KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Spending on administrative salaries at Nova Scotia universities has increased an average of 84% in 10 years, according to a report prepared by the Association of Nova Scotia University Teachers (ANSUT). The report, A Culture of Entitlement: An Overview of Administrative Spending at Eight Nova Scotia Universities 2011/12 – 2020/21, examines the compensation and quantity of senior and upper-level administration at eight Nova Scotia universities, painting a clear picture of how, as executive compensation rockets skyward, faculty and students struggle to keep up. The full report is available at ansut.ca.
ANSUT president Scott Stewart is not surprised by the results. “Compensation for university administration across the province, and across the country, continues to increase, but seems to have few checks and balances in place to ensure fairness to faculty, staff, and students, and to the communities they serve. The Culture of Entitlement Report illustrates clearly just how out-of-hand executive compensation has become.”
In addition to the increase in executive compensation, the report documents a 73% increase in the number of administrative positions at several levels – from 284 in 2010/11 to almost 500 in 2020/21. This is in stark contrast to faculty quantity which has risen an average of just 5% over the same timeframe. The levels include positions from president and vice-presidents, to deans, directors, and managers, all of whom have varying responsibilities in administration.
“In a year when faculty had two strikes at Nova Scotia universities that included issues of equity and fairness, while many students struggle to pay their tuition, and while part-time faculty and staff continue to face precarious employment, it is disheartening to see the increase in executive compensation growing so freely,” says Stewart. “The mission of most academic institutions is to provide education, conduct research and contribute to the betterment of society. We urge our university administrators and Boards of Governors to keep that in mind as they continue to one-up each other in compensation.”