Faculty, student groups criticize raise for CBU president during pandemic

Cape Breton University is being criticized for granting its president an 18 per cent pay raise during the pandemic at a time when other areas of the school were being asked to cut costs and layoff notices were being handed out.

David Dingwall's contract, which is publicly accessible, shows his salary increased to $350,000 in 2020-21, up from $295,799 in 2019-20. The increase was formalized in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former federal cabinet minister made an additional $90,000 from retroactive payments, bringing his salary to $440,705.

This comes as CBU and many other universities in the province posted a surplus during the pandemic.

But Calvin Howley, president of the Cape Breton University Faculty Association, said in the early months of the pandemic, university administration requested wage freezes or rollbacks for faculty members.

In June 2020, the university announced ways to "creatively cut costs," which included a temporary layoff program and reduction of operational costs.

Howley said the revelation of Dingwall's pay increase during that period came as a surprise.

"You can't help but feel a little duped or fooled," he said.

Student group calls raise 'unacceptable'

The university said the increase, along with the retroactive payment, was approved in early March 2020 and formalized in October of the same year. The delay, according to CBU, was related to "an institutional focus upon other pandemic-related priorities."

A group representing students in the province was disheartened to see a large increase in Dingwall's pay.

"To see Cape Breton University then approve such a massive pay increase for their president at the same time is completely unacceptable," said Kris Reppas, chairperson of the Nova Scotia branch of the Canadian Federation of Students.

Reppas said services for students were greatly reduced because of the pandemic and tuition increases have not been justified, especially when classes were forced online.

Increases to administrative salaries would have been better suited for services like on-campus counselling or student food banks, Reppas added.

Cape Breton University said the increase in pay for Dingwall was "to ensure that package was competitive and on par with other similarly sized universities in Atlantic Canada." 

Dingwall's new salary is the second highest among Nova Scotia university presidents, despite CBU having the fourth-highest enrolment numbers.

"I've always had a great working relationship with the employer and that continues," Howley said. "And this experience kind of shows me that, you know, that my trust has been shaken a little."

Most other university presidents in the province took home a similar amount in 2021 as to the previous year.

St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish and Dalhousie University in Halifax both welcomed new presidents who made more than their predecessors.

At Mount Saint Vincent University, Mary Bluechardt departed the Halifax institution before the end of her contract. 

According to publicly accessible contracts, Bluechardt had a base salary of $285,001, but received $551,412 in 2021. A statement from the school said this was part of Bluechardt's overall compensation package, but would not provide further detail.

The need for 'competitive salaries'

When asked specifically about Dingwall's salary, the provincial Department of Advanced Education said in a statement that "universities need to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain strong leaders who can meet Nova Scotia's goals of increasing our population, attracting international students and growing our economy."

The statement concluded saying the department expects institutions to manage their budgets and live within their means. 

Howley said looking back, as president of the union, he wishes there was more openness in dealings with the president's salary.

"I think there has to be better transparency and whether a president gets compensated or not," he said.

"I think as a faculty member, I think I have a right to be present when those conversations and decisions are being made."

The university said the salary was approved before the pandemic and "the CBU board of governors feel very strongly that compensation levels at CBU need to be reflective of regional benchmarks."