The City University of New York is often called the “poor man’s Harvard,” but that may not be the case when it comes to administrative salaries.
CUNY Board of Trustees On Monday night, the board approved paying Gayle Horowitz, who was promoted to secretary and senior vice president, a staggering $320,681 in salary.
The public university’s pay is far more than Gov. Kathy Hawkle’s $250,000 salary and Mayor Eric Adams’ $258,000 compensation.
Horowitz, who has held the position at CUNY since 2016, received a 16% increase in his salary from $267,628, records show.
Horowitz has long been a confidant of CUNY Board of Trustees Chairman Bill Thompson.
She was Thompson’s top aide when he served as city comptroller and, before that, when he served as New York City Board of Education chairman.
Thompson announced his own salary increase, an item that was added to the agenda at the end of the CUNY Board of Trustees meeting.
Another CUNY administrator, Anne Fenton, saw her salary increase 17 percent, from $176,566 to $212,566.
“I want to thank both of you for your work,” Thompson said after voting for the salary increases amid board applause.
But the price hike caught people’s attention.
“This is not the best example for students who are struggling to make ends meet and complete their education,” said one state official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“People in these positions should make a higher level of sacrifice and instead use resources to support students who are pursuing their degrees.”
“Most CUNY students can only dream of earning that salary,” said Ken Girardin, research director at the Empire Public Policy Center, which runs the website See Through NY, which lists government pay stubs.
CUNY defended the pay.
“CUNY recognizes that it needs to remain competitive to recruit and retain talented staff,” the spokesperson said.
“For nearly a decade, through financial challenges and a global pandemic, Gayle and Ann have been essential in helping the Board fulfill its fiduciary responsibilities, promote sound governance and uphold the University’s core commitment of equal access and opportunity,” the representative said.
Another CUNY official said Horowitz deserved a raise.
“Gayle is one of the hardest working people at CUNY,” the source said.
CUNY Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez makes $670,000 a year.
Last week, CUNY entered into a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to resolve nine discrimination complaints alleging anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and other harassment, many of which occurred well before the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas.
