More evidence on the priority (or lack thereof) the UW-System places on students:

Last week, just days after negotiating an exemption from the statewide hiring freeze brought on by the worsening economy, the Board of Regents approved a salary increase for top UW System administrators.

We have no problem with the reasonable increases given to, among others, Chancellor John Wiley and Provost Peter Spear. But the massive increases given to five administrators, especially System President Katharine Lyall’s 44 percent raise, show a complete disregard for students struggling to pay tuition and student fees.

Granted, Lyall’s previous salary was low on average. But a time of acute economic hardship for the state is not the time to correct such deficiencies.

Amazingly enough, the System again found a way to avoid causing higher tuition or taxes (or so they claim). So again, we must ask why these savings were not discovered when rising tuition was at stake.

Misplaced priorities are the only obvious answer.