As University of Wisconsin-Madison students skip meals and work for poverty wages, Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin’s salary has surged past $1 million. While high-level administrators receive massive bonuses, student worker wages stagnate and the cost of living skyrockets in Madison.
Jobs are scarce, and many of the ones the school offers pay too little to serve students’ needs. These contradictions threaten the dignity and livelihood of students, and must be addressed by the administration if they respect the students who call this university home.
This year, the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents raised Mnookin’s salary more than that of any other UW System chancellor, and it is set to hit a gargantuan over $1 million, more than twice the salary of the U.S. president. There are numerous benefits associated with the prestigious role, including the opportunity to live for free in a mansion and receive an additional fifty thousand dollars from private donations each year she remains in her role, until 2029. Why are such rewards given if the salary and home value could be used to support thousands of struggling students?…