U of M to freeze pay of top executives

The president of the University of Minnesota is freezing the salaries of executive level employees -- including his own -- as a-cost saving move.

Robert Bruininks says 40 executives at the U, including himself, will not get a raise in the 2010-2011 budget years.

"I think we're going to need to save money in this next budget, that is, in the next two years," said Bruininks. "I wanted to do everything possible to protect the employment of our of very talented workforce here at the University of Minnesota."

Bruininks says the move should save $500,000 in its first year.

Bruininks says he plans to offer non-executive faculty and staff a 3.5 percent salary increase in the next two years, if lawmakers approve his request for $141 million in new money for the U in the upcoming legislative session.

Earlier this week, Bruininks announced a hiring "pause" at the U, saying all open positions will be closely evaluated before being filled.

Officials at MnSCU say they're also carefully reviewing new hires and looking for ways to restrict spending because of the uncertain economy.

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