After about an hour of business decisions at Friday’s Board of Trustees retreat, chairman Steven Scott congratulated UF President Kent Fuchs on a move he said was moral.
He was referring to Fuchs’ Aug. 3 decision to increase the minimum hourly wage for UF staff from $10 to $12 an hour. Scott said he thought the decision was a wise move.
"Some of these people make our lives very possible," Scott said. "Whether it’s the trash, or the cleaning, or the laundry or whatever else they may do, they deserve a fair break and they deserve a voice. Much to my surprise, Dr. Fuchs became their voice."
Fuchs said he had been discussing the increase with senior leadership for a while and sent out an email to UF faculty and staff, making it official at the beginning of August.
The newly raised wage will be effective Jan. 1, in addition to a 2.5-percent merit-based salary increase for eligible faculty and staff, Scott said.
UF spokeswoman Janine Sikes said the pay increase will affect about 450 employees.
Fuchs said all the senior leadership with whom he discussed the pay increase were enthusiastic about it.
"We appreciate your support for it," he told the board. "It’s important."
Scott said he’d like to work to increase graduate student stipends next. He said UF’s graduate student stipends are 25 to 35 percent lower than the rest of the country’s universities.
The day’s scheduled meetings went by quickly and without issue, and the board unanimously approved changing the name of the old president’s house to University House to distinguish it from the new Dasburg President’s House. The board also decided to grant tenure to 13 newly hired faculty.
UF Student Body President Joselin Padron-Rasines said there has been a national conversation about increasing minimum wage.
"It’s nice to see we’re making a positive change in the lives of our staff," she said.
Contact Alexandra Fernandez at afernandez@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @alexmfern
