Budget Fallout Continues At University Of Arizona As President Takes Pay Cut

University of Arizona President Robert Robbins will have his salary cut by 10% as the fallout over the budget crisis at the University of Arizona continues.

According to a statement from Arizona Board of Regents Chair Elect Cecilia Mata, the reduction to Robbins’ base salary, which is currently more than $800,000 annually, is occurring at his request to show that the university will come together “to resolve its financial challenges and emerge from this process a stronger and more resilient institution.”

The announcement comes in the wake of a $177 million budget deficit the University of Arizona revealed last November. Fixing that shortfall will require a variety of cost controls, including hiring freezes, layoffs and budget cuts that could go as deep as 15%. It’s estimated it could take up to three years for the university to cover the deficit.

Since the discovery of the budget problems, the university’s former chief financial officer has resigned, and Arizona Governor Katy Hobbs has sent a letter to the Arizona Board of Regents demanding that actions be taken to address the crisis.

More recently, Hobbs issued another statement claiming the “handling of the University of Arizona crisis is heading in the wrong direction” and charging that “the Arizona Board of Regents failed in their oversight role and highlight a university leadership that was clueless as to their own finances.”

Saying she had been given conflicting stories about some of the university’s financial dealings, Hobbs took special aim at board chair Fred Duval, who had threatened the university’s Faculty Senate chair with legal action after she raised questions about posssible conflicts of interest on his part. “I cannot be more clear: because of Chair Duval and the Board’s actions, university employees are going to lose their jobs. Attacking faculty is not, and never will be, the answer.”

“In the February 22nd meeting, an ABOR member openly called for President Robbins to overthrow the faculty’s governing body. This behavior is appalling and unacceptable. Chair DuVal and members of the Board of Regents appear more concerned with saving face than fixing the problems they created. It’s time for them to come down from their ivory tower and realize this is hurting Arizonans and the university,” Hobbs continued.

Hobbs concluded the statement by “demanding an in-person meeting with ABOR leadership and President Robbins immediately where we will discuss next steps.”

On Friday, March 1, DuVal, who denied he had conflicted interests, indicated he was stepping down as chair of the Arizona Board of Regents, the Arizona Daily Star reported. He plans to remain on the board for the remainder of his term.

One other bit of fallout from the turmoil is the decision by John Arnold, former board executive director and the university’s interim chief financial officer, to take a leave of absence from the board to focus on the university’s financial difficulties.

Whether any of these moves will satisfy the governor remains to be seen. According to NPR affiliate KJZZ, a spokesperson for Hobbs said she was exploring whether she has the power to remove members from the Arizona Board of Regents.