BANGOR — The University of Maine system trustees on Monday approved policy changes designed to give the chancellor greater authority over appointments, promotions and pay raises. The changes come after press reports about the use of loopholes in the hiring process to give top level jobs to former Baldacci administration officials and about nearly $1 million in discretionary pay raises to system employees. Most of those appointments and pay raises were approved by presidents and top executives at some of the System’s seven campuses. The rules adopted Monday, the result of a study of personnel policies ordered by the new chancellor, James Page, effectively takes final authority over hiring and raises of the System’s top managers away from the presidents and puts it in Page’s hands.All of the controversial pay raises and hiring came under Page’s predecessors. Page said that no management-level “position will be opened or filled without the authority of the chancellor. Continue Reading →