According to minutes from the April 29 meeting of the CUNY board of trustees, outgoing Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, who will retire on June 30, will undertake a “study leave” for a year at his current salary of $490,000. Once that’s done, he’ll retire for five months, then return as “chancellor emeritus” for five years at a salary of $300,000 a year. “During his study leave, retirement leave and tenure as Chancellor Emeritus, Dr. Goldstein shall perform such teaching and other non-policymaking duties as shall be determined by the Board of Trustees,” the minutes read.
According to the New York Post, Goldstein currently receives a $90,000 housing allowance in addition to his salary; the minutes do not say that that will continue.
Calling Goldstein “a true visionary” the minutes praise his “emphasis on high standards, academic rigor and student preparation” which, it says, have “produced record enrollments, with an increase in enrollment among high-achieving students, and increased graduation rates.” The minutes notes that “the study leave for Dr. Goldstein was provided for in the offer letter when he was first hired as Chancellor” and represent the first sabbatical he’s taken in 14 years.
Union members have noted that half of CUNY’s courses are taught by adjuncts who make less than $20,000 annually.