by Katy Knapp
Daily Lobo
David Harris said taking on two roles at the University is hectic.
Harris became acting president at UNM in January when Louis Caldera resigned.
Since then, Harris has been head of state on campus - performing fundraising duties, overseeing faculty and staff of more than 5,000 at UNM and working with the Legislature.
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On top of that, he retained his duties of executive vice president of administration, a position he has held for two years. In that position, he works on the University's budget and construction projects.
Harris received an increase in salary from $211,000 to $270,000 last week. This came after the University raised tuition 6.11 percent to cover a $3.5 million gap in funding from the Legislature.
Harris said taking on extra duties for another year justifies the salary increase because it's about $65,000 less than what it would cost UNM to hire an interim president.
"For me to continue to wear those two hats, they're probably getting a good deal," he said.
Harris did not receive a pay increase until last week because the position was originally temporary, he said.
"When the regents asked me to fill in for Caldera in January, I was told it was a 60-day assignment, that I was to fill the three empty executive jobs - athletics director, University counsel and provost," Harris said.
After he filled those positions, Harris said his last task was to formulate the University's budget before the regents appointed an interim president.
The UNM Board of Regents implemented a management leadership team last week in lieu of hiring an interim president. That team includes Harris, Provost Reed Dasenbrock and Paul Roth, executive vice president of the Health Sciences Center.
Each team member will be responsible for their respective fields - Dasenbrock overseeing academics, Roth in charge of health sciences and Harris in charge of administration. Roth and Dasenbrock didn't receive salary increases.
Roth and Dasenbrock said they haven't taken on as much extra work as Harris has.
Students and faculty with administrative or academic appeals usually take their grievances to the president. Now, they go to Roth or Dasenbrock. After that, grievances go to the regents.
Roth and Dasenbrock agreed they don't need a pay increase.
"I got a nice raise going from interim (provost) to provost," Dasenbrock said, referring to his salary of $245,000 the regents approved last week. "The difference between me and David is that he is doing two jobs."
Roth said he is comfortable with his salary of $400,000.
"I feel like I make a reasonable amount of income for the job I was originally hired to do," he said. "The leadership team is effective, and that was never on my mind, in respect to compensation."
Dasenbrock said Harris should receive a raise.
"He's willing to do the job on less than what the old president made," he said. "That looks like a deal to me."
Despite having a team of leaders, retaining a president is still important, Harris said.
"I think that's why the regents kept an acting president along with the management team," he said. "Because someone has to represent the University at all times."
The Board of Regents unanimously voted on the resolution establishing the management team and Harris' pay increase last week.
In the meantime, Board of Regents President Jamie Koch said the search for a permanent president is in full swing. He expects to have one hired by April 10, 2007.
Student Angelina Skonieczka said Harris shouldn't have received the raise because he already makes enough money.
"If he gets a raise, then everyone who does work study should get a raise, too," she said.
