From The Coloradoan (Fort Collins): On Nov. 8, The Coloradoan ran an article and column related in part to requests under the Colorado Open Records Act for data that CSU is using to assess salary equity.

The Coloradoan stated that CSU refuses to release “a digital format that can be sorted and analyzed for trends such as where salary increases are highest, which departments command the highest overall and average salaries and more information that would show the university’s financial investment in various aspects of its human capital.” This is untrue.

A digital, searchable database containing the information referenced above is available on the Accountability site of CSU’s webpage and the Coloradoan has been repeatedly directed to this site.

What is not present in that database is gender, which the Coloradoan specifically requested. We have explained to the Coloradoan our position that releasing gender information is a violation of the Open Records Act and EEOC guidelines. Also not present in the database are employee names, which are not relevant to the analyses the Coloradoan claims it wishes to make.

Names and salaries are, however, provided together in a printed analysis that is readily available to the public in the CSU Morgan Library. We have discussed frequently with the Coloradoan that we are releasing data in this manner to balance our responsibilities for public transparency and employee privacy. This was not highlighted by the Coloradoan, which further chose to leave out of its reporting that CSU has provided numerous reports on salaries.

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