I want to work for the University of Southern Maine!

Is it just me, or were most readers of the Maine Sunday Telegram just as surprised as I was to see how much the folks at the University of Southern Maine are getting paid?   I especially liked the $102,754 for the finance director at the Muskie School of Public Service, and $98,221 a year for the director of the Office of Research Compliance –so much for “public service”.   The best part of the story wasn’t even online.  It was the dreaded list of positions filled and their accompanying salaries (including wages and benefits). A few highlights: 

• Police Safety Communications supervisor - $51, 443
• Coordinator of Information Literacy - $82, 289
• Assistant Professor of Business - $129, 471
• Assistant Dean of Administration - $90, 520
• Assistant Professor of Social Work - $75, 524
• Director of Alumni Relations and Development - $101, 243

Of course, in fairness to the hard working folks at the University of Southern Maine, you have nothing on the pay scale of the employees working for the Legislators.  I wouldn’t expect too much follow-up on this one.  It could be rather difficult to explain all of the six figure salaries of Legislative employees.

Paul Carrier at the Portland Press Herald deserves a great deal of credit for his reporting on the USM fiasco.  (note to Mr. Carrier: – I trust you will enjoy doing the farm report from downtown Houlton.)