This table shows the pay and benefits, from public and private sources, of chief executives at 185 public universities and university systems, based on a survey by The Chronicle (see article).
The data are from the colleges’ 2009-10 fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2010, in most states. To improve how executive compensation is documented, The Chronicle changed its 2009-10 questionnaire. We also changed how we calculate total compensation, creating two categories of total pay: “total compensation,” which measures dollars actually paid out to presidents, and “total cost of employment” which measures salary and benefits packages allocated during the year. Thus, data for 2009-10 are not comparable with data in previous Chronicle surveys of public-college leaders’ pay.
The four-year institutions shown here comprise universities with total fall enrollments of at least 10,000 that are classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as either Research Universities or Doctoral/Research Universities. We also show those institutions’ affiliated systems. Alaska and the District of Columbia do not have public research institutions that meet those specifications, so we include figures for the largest four-year institutions in those places.
Chief executives serving on the last day of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, are included in the sample if they served in that position for at least one month of the 2009-10 fiscal year. Interim presidents are included only if they served in that role for the entire 2009-10 fiscal year. Partial-year dollar amounts are included for presidents who did not serve the entire year, and the endings or beginnings of their terms are noted. Presidents no longer in office as of publication are marked with an asterisk (*).
DEFINITIONS:
Total compensation: Includes base pay, bonuses, and deferred compensation paid. This category measures the dollar amount of earnings actually received by the chief executive during the fiscal year.
Total cost of employment: Includes base pay, bonuses, deferred compensation accrued, retirement, and provisions (where dollar amounts are listed). Since accrued deferred compensation is often paid out later, The Chronicle chose not to include payouts in this category to prevent double-counting. This category measures the total cost to the college and the state of employing the chief executive for the fiscal year.
Base pay: Salary and salary supplements paid to the chief executive.
Bonus: Bonuses paid to the chief executive.
Deferred compensation (paid): Deferred compensation paid to the chief executive.
Deferred compensation (accrued): Money contributed to deferred-compensation or retirement plans designed for the chief executive.
Retirement: Contributions made on behalf of the chief executive to standard retirement plans, open to any campus employee.
Provisions: Provisions include the use of a house, housing allowances, the use of a car, car allowances, personal-expense accounts, club dues, tuition assistance for any relatives, and compensation paid to the chief executive’s spouse as a condition of the chief executive’s employment. The Chronicle includes dollar amounts for only housing and car allowances, tuition assistance, and spousal pay.
1. Term ended June 10, 2010.
2. Term began August 17, 2009.
3. $42,000 is for housing and car allowance.
4. $46,000 is for housing and car allowance.
5. Term ended June 10, 2010.
6. Term ended September 11, 2009.
7. Term began January 15, 2010.
8. Term began January 1, 2010.
9. Term began August 1, 2009.
10. Term began June 1, 2010.
11. Term ended October 26, 2009.
12. Term ended December 31, 2009.
13. $222,750 was an additional payment in lieu of a previously earned sabbatical rather than a bonus.
14. Term began March 1, 2010.
15. Term ended August 6, 2010. Fiscal year ends September 30.
16. Term began January 1, 2010.
17. Term began August 6, 2009.
18. Term began January 1, 2010.
19. Term began April 1, 2010.
20. Term ended on November 30, 2009.
21. Term began November 1, 2009.
22. Term began February 12, 2010. Fiscal year ends August 31.
23. Term began May 11, 2011. Fiscal year ends August 31.
a Entry updated April 12, 2011
b Entry updated April 15, 2011
c Entry updated April 15, 2011