Part time University profs get pay raise

A SALARY  increase that will double the pay of some part time professors at the University of Panama on the eve of  voting for a new rector Has been approved  by the National Assembly Budget Commission. It will spend $1.5 million to finance the increase, which will go into effect this month.

Professor Miguel Antonio Bernal was critical of the move due to the allegations of financial mismanagement that have plagued the school.

“This decision confirms the strong support that the government is providing for an administration that is being severely challenged by mismanagement and the lack of transparency,” he said.

He said the timing of the increase, which coincides with the election June 29 of a new rector, is not a coincidence, as the election will likely be decided by the people who received the salary increase.

University official Juan Antonio Gómez defended the increase, saying part-time professors have been underpaid for years.

“This adjustment has nothing to do with the electoral process,” he said. “It was time to treat them fairly.”

Some of the teachers will see their monthly salary double to $900 a month reports La Pren