CHAMPAIGN – Parkland College's president just won a rave evaluation, but he won't be getting any more money for it.

Tom Ramage said Thursday that, despite what board President James Ayers calls an "exceptional" evaluation, it would be "hypocritical" for him to get a raise when the college faces tight budgets during a recession.

Ramage was the unanimous choice of the trustees in 2008 after serving as interim president.

Last month, the trustees approved salary increases of 2 percent to 5 percent for most employees.

According to a Parkland spokeswoman, the raises, which include 2.95 percent for most of the 40 administrators, are below the historic average of about 5 percent at the college.

The college's property tax base includes 11 counties.

Ramage said he didn't feel right about taking a raise this year "for a number of reasons."

"The budget picture for next year is at best uncertain," he said. "We have effectively been cut 12 percent by the state."

He said property tax income is also down, part of a nationwide trend in declining home prices.

"We reduced expectations in terms of the first union contract (so far this summer) and it is only right that trickles down to administrators and confidential (nonunion support staff) employees."

He said cutting raises almost in half from historical norms at the large community college has been "not without controversy."

"In my opinion, it's the right thing to do to be on the front end of that process. It would be awfully hypocritical of me to take a raise," Ramage said.

Ayers, the board chairman, said trustees felt Ramage had met the goals set for 2009 through 2010, which included making progress toward fulfilling a $92 million master plan, completing the transition to a new computer system after decades with another system, and "maintaining the college's fiscal stability."

Ramage acknowledged that the transition to a new digital system, Datatel, had given the college some moments of difficulty.

Datatel, a Virginia-based higher education software supplier, is still the process of replacing the old system, for which IBM is phasing out support, Ramage said.

"It's a multiyear transition," Ramage said of the $3 million system.

The president said the college has been enrolling, grading and graduating students since 1967, and all of the information is stored digitally.

"The process of moving and verifying that data has been a challenge," Ramage said.

"In customizing our old system, we were taking two steps back before one step could be complete forward."

The college is also in transition to a new master plan.

"I thought it would be a whole lot of fun," Ramage joked. "When you're in the midst of overseeing construction, it not as fun."

Ramage said he'll "have a different opinion" on Aug. 15, when the college opens its $3 million diesel addition.

Next up is an $18 million technology center that includes auto repairs facilities.

Then, the entire face of the college will be changed, with a $30 million Student Services Building in what is now the circle drive in front of the administration center.

Ramage said the new building will mesh with the 1960s California look of the campus.

"It will have the same brick color, the same roof angles, the same shingle material," he said.

He credited with board, with "well over 100 years of combined Parkland College board experience, with the progress the college as made, as well as faculty and staff.