This week featured our back-to-school issue, with the Collegian bringing some start of the semester scrutiny to the compensation of UMass professors and administrators. 93 of the 100 highest paid state workers in Massachusetts are on the UMass payroll, with UMass Medical School Chancellor Michael F. Collins topping the rankings at $761,314 per year. Recently fired UMass Amherst football coach Kevin Morris also made the list, earning over $650,000 in 2011 after having the last two years of his contract bought out.

The UMass community mourned for Jonathan Gray, a freshman Kinesiology major and Holyoke native who died in his home in early January. Gray, an athlete who played football and was a track and field star during high school, passed away while exercising in his family home. He was recruited for the UMass crew team during his first semester at UMass, and had volunteered to help out with the track team at Holyoke high school. A candlelight vigil was held next to the high school in his honor.

UMass politics wasted no time in heating up this semester, as the Student Government Association continues to butt heads with the administration over the firings of Peer Mentors and Apartment Living Assistants. At Monday night’s meeting between Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Jean Kim and the SGA, Kim refused to sign an SGA motion demanding that Residence Life Director Edward Hull work with students when making changes to the residence program. The controversial changes include the elimination of all Peer Mentor and ALA positions, to be replaced by an as yet unspecified peer tutoring program which, according to Kim, would compensate for the initial drop in student employment.

Dan Glaun can be reached at [email protected].