According to the Lansing State Journal, William Strampel, dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine, now makes $324,254, an increase of more than 58 percent from three years ago. In the same time frame, College of Human Medicine Dean Marsha Rappley received an increase of 26 percent and Provost Kim Wilcox received an increase of 20 percent, boosting their salaries up to $378,521 and $347,000, respectively.

MSU officials have long stated they intend to keep administrative and faculty salaries in the middle of the Big Ten and that faculty members are eligible for merit raises based on their performance every year. Despite raising the salaries of the three officials, President Lou Anna K. Simon has refused raises the past two years and all of the top administrators, including Strampel, Rappley and Wilcox donated their raises back to the university, the Lansing State Journal also reported.

An average student might look at these salary increases and be angry, especially considering MSU’s recent cuts in other areas. But in the grand scheme of things, raises for university officials are a normal occurrence, and students shouldn’t be upset without looking further into the situation.

Wilcox has had the difficult task of overseeing cuts to many distinctive MSU programs and is in charge of the general day-to-day operations of the university. He is a central figure in the shaping and transformation of MSU and an official in the top of his field. Other schools almost would certainly love to get their hands on him, and keeping him should be one MSU’s top priorities. By giving him a raise, MSU shows Wilcox he’s wanted, appreciated and that the university intends to keep him here.

Strampel and Rappley are the heads of two significant expansions within their respective colleges. Rappley has presided over the Grand Rapids Medical Education and Research Center campus and Strampel over an expansion of the College of Osteopathic Medicine into Macomb County.

Both are in the lower half of pay for the Big Ten medical school deans. Simon has praised the work of the three, and the MSU Board of Trustees is doing the right thing by giving the top administrators raises.

Strampel, Rappley and Wilcox are three faculty members in the midst of very important projects. The board simply is letting these administrators and the public know that their efforts have been recognized, and that they will be taken care of in the future.

MSU should continue to keep its salaries and raises in the middle of the Big Ten. Politically, it’s the best place for the school to be. If salaries are too high, the school will be looked at as greedy. If salaries are too low, the school is looked at as too stingy. Simon and company know where MSU stands and are doing a fine job keeping the university where it belongs.

Strampel and Rappley are intricate parts in huge expansion projects, and Wilcox` is integral to the day-to-day operations of the university. It’s smart to keep them here by showing they are appreciated. All three are crucial to the advancement and future of MSU.

The three deserve the raises and chose to give them right back to the university. And if they work hard for the money, MSU better treat them right.