Newly-appointed University College of the Cayman Islands board of governors chairman Gilbert McLean is set to collect $48,000 per year, and fellow board members $12,000, after Cabinet cut local and overseas scholarships, which paved the way for the pay raise.
The stipend increase and reduction in scholarships was made public through government’s Cabinet post-meeting summary on its 9 Nov. meeting that was released Wednesday and went into effect 1 Sept., which is when McLean took over the helm of the board.
“The increase was funded by savings realised under TP 30 (local and overseas scholarships). This increase covered stipends and an Executive Secretary to the Board of Governors, an HR Audit for UCCI and recruitment costs in accordance to [Public Authorities Law] requirements,” the Education Ministry, in response to Cayman Compass queries, said on Friday.
According to the summary, Cabinet approved an increase in appropriations to UCCI, under CCO 1 – Teaching of Tertiary Level, Professional and Vocational Programmes, by $251,809.00; and a decrease in appropriations under TP 30 – Local and Overseas Scholarships, by $251,809.00. That approval, the summary said, “would result in an increase in budgetary allocations to UCCI for budget years 2022 and 2023.”
Government is expected to present its first budget next week in Parliament, though a formal date has not yet been announced.
Previously, according to a recent Cayman Current article on the increase, board members received around $1,000.
An Office of the Auditor General report, Key Management and Board Remuneration Statutory Authorities and Government Companies during 2016-17 – the latest figures available – stated that the board members received on average $68 per month, which had been the lowest compensation of the SAGCs.
In justifying the increase, the ministry said Cabinet approved the rise in the remuneration of the board of governors “to compensate non-government members, who have agreed to serve UCCI and, by extension, the wider community, for their service”.
The ministry statement added the pay increase will bring that board of governors in line with some other boards across the government.
“It also comes as a result of the increased demand on Board of Governors. The Public Authorities Act calls for the Board to meet a minimum of quarterly, however the new leadership of the Board has moved to a minimum of monthly meetings to better manage the workload of the Board of Governors,” it added.
The post-Cabinet summary stated that the increase in monthly stipends paid to the UCCI board of governors brought the amount to $4,000 for the chair; $2,000 for the deputy chair; and $1,000 for members, in accordance with Section 11(5) and (6) of the Public Management and Finance Act.
UCCI said, in response to Compass queries, that decisions on the stipends for members of the board of governors are made by government together with the Ministry of Education, and any questions or requests for comments regarding the issue should be directed to those bodies.
“UCCI’s planned governance meetings are posted publicly on our governance website,” it added.
UCCI said it is awaiting further information from the Ministry of Education regarding the details for funding the increase in stipends.
“Once received, we will be able to determine what, if any, impact this will have on UCCI’s budget,” it said.
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Bringing the UCCI Board of Governors stipends into line with the over inflated payments made to the other SAGC Boards is a backward step, rather the reverse whereby the stipends to the other Boards should be reduced to more realistic levels.
Terrible. Students suffer to pay for top heavy admission