Editorial: Paying retirees twice over costs too much for UConn

An investigation published Feb. 8 in the Hartford Courant detailed the rampant practice of "double-dipping" in state government, whereby retired state employees already receiving pensions are rehired using short-term (120-day) contracts. The investigation found that some of the worst double-dipping offenders in the state are UConn and UConn Health Center professors and employees.

Accounting Professor Richard Kochanek, for example, receives an annual pension of more than $174,000, and makes an additional $81,650 per year teaching two introductory level accounting courses per semester. Another professor, Joseph Renzulli, made a whopping $138,000 as a 120-day professor here in 2008, in addition to his state pension of $162,000 per year. When asked to justify the $300,000 Professor Renzulli was paid last year, President Hogan responded that Renzulli is "one of the most distinguished" professors in the nation.

In an effort to curb excessive spending, Gov. Rell ordered last week that no retired state agency employee could be rehired for more than two 120-day contracts (a maximum total of 240 days). The governor asked Hogan and the Board of Trustees to implement a similar policy for UConn (As governor, Rell has no direct control over UConn's budget, and as such, all she can do is make suggestions). But Hogan has remained defiant. He defended the estimated 300-350 "double-dippers" employed by UConn at a public hearing of the state appropriations committee last week, saying that "None [of the double-dipping professors] are being paid with state dollars," but rather with research grants. That point was disputed by State Rep. Patricia Dillon, who told Hogan, "you can tell me it's not state money," but "it's not persuasive."

Like the rest of Connecticut's government, UConn must tighten its belt. Past luxuries such as rehiring professors who are already collecting fat pensions and paying them exorbitant salaries, are no longer acceptable. While Professors Kochanek and Renzulli, and the other double-dippers, might be fine educators, there are more cost-effective means of educating UConn students. Excellent professors could be hired for much less than the excessive salaries many double-dipping professors receive, a point made clear to Hogan by members of the appropriations committee.

With UConn students and their parents struggling to pay tuition, UConn must do its part to cut costs by trimming some of the fat. Applying the Rell-standard of a maximum of two 120-day contracts would allow for professors to be temporarily rehired in emergency situations, without breaking the bank by retaining retired professors long-term.