The Executive Committee of the Board of Visitors unanimously passed two resolutions yesterday that granted salary increases to University President John T. Casteen III, University of Virginia at Wise Chancellor L. Jay Lemons and University Medical Center employees.
Starting Nov. 25, Casteen's and Lemons' total salaries will increase by 6.25 percent. A second resolution will increase the salary of Medical Center workers by an average of 4 percent by Jan. 9.
The Board votes annually on whether to give a salary increase to Casteen and Lemons, in compliance with state guidelines.
Last year the Board gave Casteen a 3.67 percent salary hike. He received a 29 percent increase two years ago -- that large increase brought his salary to peer level, University spokesperson Louise Dudley said.
This year's increase for Casteen and Lemons is the "same percentage given to [staff] employees all over the state," Dudley said.
Casteen's new salary of $319,433 is "very much in line with the universities we compete against -- the top 25 universities," she said.
According to Board Secretary Alexander S. "Sandy" Gilliam, Jr., the Board evaluated Casteen and Lemons to determine whether they should receive the raises.
The evaluations were strictly performance-based and did not include factors such as "how many guests [Casteen has] entertained or how much money he's raised," Gilliam said.
University Rector John P. Ackerly III said Casteen's salary increase is appropriate.
"The Board is aware that Mr. Casteen is considered one of the nation's top university presidents," Ackerly said. The Board wanted to provide Casteen "with the maximum compensation increase set forth in the 1999 state guidelines."
Dudley agreed, adding that Casteen and Lemons "exceed the expectations that were given to their positions."
Casteen declined to comment.
Read More
New School of Data Science building opens with remarks and ceremony
By Cecilia Mould | 14 hours agoThe four-story, 61,000 square-foot building includes four classrooms and two seminar rooms, as well as a two-story central hub for hosting events.
Democratic Futures Project fellow Félix Maradiaga announces campaign to end arbitrary detention
By Caroline Hagood | 14 hours agoA public website for the campaign launched Friday, which Maradiaga says is the first step towards raising awareness.
HRL preassigns 25 percent of returning resident advisors for 2024-25 academic year
By Cecilia Mould | 18 hours agoSome SRs are upset with this change, with two SRs saying that it has somewhat reduced the relative autonomy they have had when choosing their staff in past years.
