By SUSAN JONES
One of the issues that state lawmakers have cited often when funding for the state-related schools comes up is a lack of transparency about where that money is being used, even though all four schools have said the money all goes toward reducing in-state tuition.
“No one should have anything to hide, especially when you’re dealing with taxpayers dollars,” said Republican Rep. Jim Rigby, whose district includes Pitt–Johnstown.
Democratic House Speaker Joanna McClinton said in a statement that “we should be working with our world class institutions of higher education to ensure relevant and helpful information is available to the public.”
On Oct. 30, the House passed by 201-1 a bill that would expand what information the state-related universities — Pitt, Penn State, Temple and Lincoln — are required to provide to the state. Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware County) was the only no vote. The bill is now awaiting Senate action.
Even before the bill was passed, Pitt publicly supported the ideas behind it. “Pitt has consistently supported similar measures, and we believe this bill will strengthen public trust and provide enhanced transparency, reassuring Pennsylvanians that Pitt and the other state-related universities are responsible stewards of the public’s investment,” said a statement from the Office of Government Relations and Advocacy. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the legislature on this topic and hope the General Assembly will pass HB 1556.”
But many of the items listed in the bill — such as audited financial statements, revenue and expenditures for the year, mean and median salaries by academic rank, and number of employees by academic rank or job classification — are already available on Pitt websites or in the annual Pitt Fact Book.
Pitt’s government relations office has launched a website that compiles all information and reports the University provides to local, state and federal authorities, including Right-to-Know Law disclosures, audited financial reports and annual security reports, along with other information that the University makes publicly available.
Currently, the universities must submit the salaries of all officers and directors on IRS 990 forms (along with a host of other financial information). The state currently requires a list of the salaries of the top-paid 25 employees who are not on the officers and directors list.
One of the few items the new bill would require that is not already available somewhere is the salaries of the next 175 highest-paid employees, with faculty salaries reported as a range.
The new bill also would require reporting contracts of more than $5,000, although the universities already must list all purchases of goods and services over $1,000 in the state-required Stairs Report, which also includes data comparing tuition revenue and other expenses to the previous year.
The bill also asks the universities to provide annual information on faculty costs and workload, which is already required through the Snyder Report.
Susan Jones is editor of the University Times. Reach her at suejones@pitt.edu or 724-244-4042.
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