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Public university presidents' compensation skyrockets
Today's New York Times and Washington Post have revealing stories about the hefty salaries and bonuses of university presidents -- at public institutions. According to a report from the Chronicle of Higher Education, the median pay and benefits for public university presidents rose 7.6 percent in 2007-8, with a 36 percent increase in compensation over five years. By way of comparison, the five-year increase is 19 percent at private institutions, where presidential salaries in the seven-figure range are not unheard of. The most famous (or infamous) example is E. Gordon Gee, the current president of Ohio State University, who has an annual compensation package of $1.3 million.
Not unexpectedly, this revelation has some taxpayers and parents demanding a rationale for why public university presidents receive ever-bigger paychecks while tuition eats up a larger and larger share of the average family's savings account. ACTA encourages trustees to consider these issues when negotiating pay levels and contract renewals, within the larger context of working to keep higher education accountable and affordable.
Posted by Sandra E. Czelusniak on November 17, 2008 at November 17, 2008 01:43 PM
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