Public University Presidential Compensation

Submitted by UMgradMSUdad on

The Chronicle of Higher Ed has a survey of public university executive compensation out that a lot of news organizations are citing.  The B1G has three of the the top ten: Spanier (PSU) at no. 1, Gee (OSU) at no. 3, and our own Mary Sue Coleman at no. 6.  The real head scratcher in the top ten salaries for me is Ball State University's president who is ranked fifth.

http://chronicle.com/article/Executive-Compensation-at/139093/#id=table

Here's the top ten as reported by the AP (their list was easier to copy and paste):

 

Top 10 recipients, in total compensation, among public college leaders in 2011-12.

1. Graham Spanier (x), Pennsylvania State University, $2,906,271

2. Jay Gogue, Auburn University, $2,542,865

3. E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State University, $1,899,420

4. Alan Merten (x), George Mason University, $1,869,369

5. Jo Ann Gora, Ball State University, $984,647

6. Mary Sue Coleman, University of Michigan, $918,783

7. Charles Steger, Virginia Tech, $857,749

8. Mark Yudof, University of California, $847,149

9. Bernard Machen, University of Florida, $834,562

10. Francisco Cigarroa, University of Texas, $815,833

(x) No longer president.

———Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

 

 

[Edit: Nearly half of Spanier's compensation is severance pay]

UMgradMSUdad

May 12th, 2013 at 11:39 PM ^

I'm not interested in any private exchange.  I just think when you call people out for their ignorance you should do better than just claim access to some kind of special knowledge that you won't reveal. Feat of Clay was able to list some reasonable counterarguments to some of the claims made:

"I also think most people would be surprised by the kinds of compliance and reporting it is required to do by the Feds, state, accrediting agencies, college guidebooks, the media, granting agencies, and so on."

How hard would it have been to make some sort of claim like that?  Then debate can ensue.  What you posted basically ends any possibility of further discussion, and yeah, did come across as sounding both arrogant and defensive.

trueblueintexas

May 12th, 2013 at 11:50 PM ^

I understand your point. I didn't provide additional info because it's really an all or nothing discussion. There is not one silver bullet reason. There are multiple issues, some of which are intertwined. I'm not a big fan of laying out partial arguments to get a point across if the other aspects are equally important. I find it opens you up to "yeah, but you didn't think of xxx" arguments which don't go well in a board forum like this. Edit: and I'm watching the Red Wings game so I'm not really up for writing a dissertation this time night.