Earlier today I put up two posts about the prez of UWO, Amit Chakma, and how he had taken double pay in lieu of taking an administrative leave [here and here]. The pressure was strong and this afternoon, he announced he would return $440K and wouldn't exercise that option in his new contract. Further there will be an independent investigation into the situation (and I hope into the Board of Governors who approved such a contractual option for him).
From his email,
My employment contract with Western, executed in 2009, provided for payment in lieu of one year of administrative leave at the end of my five-year term. When I was reappointed, for the sake of continuity, I received payment in lieu of the administrative leave.
Although contractually sanctioned, in hindsight, I should have carried over my administrative leave to the end of my current term.
Today, Western’s Board of Governors retained the Honourable Stephen T. Goudge to conduct an independent and impartial review of my compensation. I am confident that Justice Goudge will complete a full and fair examination and I will whole heartedly cooperate. I look forward to his findings and intend to abide by his recommendations.
In the interim, as a demonstration of my commitment to Western and to address the concerns that many have expressed, I have decided voluntarily to refund the in lieu payment to the University. I have also decided not to exercise my right under the contract to receive payment in lieu of administrative leave at the end of my second term.
My prediction:
The judge will recommend that since prez Chakma returned the money, he get both the administrative leave he should have taken this year AND the administrative leave to which he is entitled at the end of the next contract. (in a sense Chakma set the stage for this saying he should have carried over the administrative leave to which he is entitled until the end of his next contract). I.e., the judge will recommend that Chakma serve as prez for 3 more years and then be paid on an administrative leave for the next two years and then not be rehired.
This is a good solution, given the mistakes that have been made already. UWO should get rid of this guy soon, and paying him for his administrative leaves would not be exorbitant or outside the terms of his contract. It would certainly be cheaper than what I proposed here. I'd just as soon see him and at least some of the members of the Board of Governors fired but that probably won't happen, so this would not be a bad solution.
At any rate, I shall be surprised if there isn't SOME form of quid pro quo for his having returned $440K.