BOZEMAN — The Board of Regents has approved a $150,000 pay raise to retain Waded Cruzado as the president of Montana State University after she received an offer for a higher-paying job.
Supporters say Waded Cruzado’s vision and fundraising ability make her worth the $476,000 annual salary, while opponents noted her raise is nearly three times the median household income in Montana.
Commissioner of Higher Education Clay Christian supported the raise, saying it would allow Cruzado to continue the momentum she has created on the Bozeman campus.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports two classified MSU employees noted some workers are paid less than $11 an hour, vacancies are hard to fill and people have left because they can’t afford to live in Bozeman.
Regents on Friday also approved a 2% or 50-cent-per-hour raise for university system employees, whichever is greater.