Faculty irate at high pay for Suffolk president

The Boston Globe reports:

Faculty dissent is bubbling up across Suffolk University, weeks after the furor over its president’s $1.5 million compensation - more than four times the national average for top college administrators - thrust the school into the national spotlight.

More than 70 percent of the law school faculty approved a motion during Thursday’s faculty meeting raising questions about the way the university is governed. The motion, relayed to the college’s board of trustees, expressed concern that President David Sargent’s “excessive’’ compensation has demoralized students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

The negative publicity over the pay package, they said, had harmed the Beacon Hill school’s reputation and its ability to raise money and attract strong applicants, criticism that the board chairman says is unfair and has dealt “a hell of a blow to Sargent.’’

Professors in Suffolk’s business school, the college of arts and sciences, and school of art and design have also begun to complain, according to several faculty members. Law professors say they would like better communication from trustees about key decisions and believe there should be term limits for board members.