At today's board of curators meeting Curator Warren Erdman noted that base salaries throughout the UM system are not competitive with peer institutions. But, in a press conference after the meeting University President Gary Forsee said no plan is in place to increase employee salaries within this fiscal year.

"In the context of the economic environment our ability to make new incremental investments will be challenged without question so I don't want to set out an expectation that we will be able to make progress."

Still, Forsee says the university is treating the salary issue as a strategic priority.

In other news, the board passed measures today that makes it easier for the UM system to access employee emails, and a measure that implements a new sick leave policy in expectation of flu-related absences. © Copyright 2012, KBIA