The B.C. New Democrats are raising questions about possible overpayments of Capilano University's top administrators.
The B.C. Liberals created a salary freeze in 2011 and capped the "maximum amount of compensation that can be paid to individuals at the schools," according to David Eby, MLA and former advanced education critic for the NDP. But since that time, public documents show the cap is routinely surpassed.
By Eby's crunching of the numbers, Capilano president Kris Bulcroft has received close to $15,000 more than allowable over the last three years. Vice-presidents Catherine Vertesi and Cindy Turner are roughly $32,000 and $113,000 over the cap in the same period, respectively. The alleged overpayments are part of $1.1 million in questionable payments to 14 top administrators at CapU, Vancouver Island University and the University of the Fraser Valley.
But part of the difficulty in determining this is that Advanced Education Minister Amrik Virk has refused to release what the actual salary cap is on the grounds it could damage future negotiations. Eby's calculations are based on information he gathered from legislative library and Public Sector Employers' Council.
After first denying earlier NDP accusations, Virk has since admitted to helping Kwantlen Polytechnic University skirt the cap as a Kwantlen board member by devising a $50,000 do-nothing contract for the incoming president.No stranger to the stonewall is Jennifer O'Keeffe, a Capilano studio arts grad and student union representative who has been routinely filing freedom of information requests with the administration since her program was cut in 2013. So far, she's had little luck getting cogent financial data about the cap.
O'Keeffe said if there has been an overpayment, it should come back to the students.
"I would hope the president and VPs would take it upon themselves to pay back the amount that was overcompensated to them - back to the university as it would be perhaps beneficial in supporting student services and programs at the school." Virk later issued a statement calling Eby's claims wrong because total compensation includes benefits, pension, and one-time payouts like unused vacation pay. "Amounts can fluctuate year to year due to increases in benefit and pension costs beyond the employer's control, and one-time payments such as unused vacation payouts," she wrote.
"Vice-presidents, and all other excluded employees, have a salary range approved by Public Sector Employers' Council that does not include additional benefits and pension, employment insurance and Canada Pension Plan, which can account for approximately 20 per cent. As with presidents, these amounts can vary year to year due to increases in items beyond the employer's control."
Capilano University board chairwoman Jane Shackell issued a statement Wednesday saying all administrators are being paid in accordance with the law.
"The compensation for all executives at Capilano University is within the PSEC's approved salary range and is determined based on a job evaluation plan. Benefit provisions are also governed by PSEC and approved by government. The executive compensation disclosure statements are posted both on our external website and on PSEC's website," Shackell stated.
Eby said if there is any confusion about university executive payments, it is on Virk to clear it up.
"If he really feels that we're wrong, why won't he release the caps for all 22 schools? This is not a transparent operation by any stretch and this is coming from a guy (Virk) who has been wrong before when it comes to these issues," he said. "Going back and attempting to claw back $10,000 here and $5,000 there from these people would be incredibly difficult and not only that, unfair. I think what we're hoping for here is that the rules are made clear and that the rules are enforced equally among all the schools."
