Ohio State University's president and executive staff waived their bonuses and raises last week, giving the more than $1 million to student financial aid instead.
The board gave E. Gordon Gee $220,000 in raises and bonuses, a 27 percent increase over his base salary of $802,125. Last year, Ohio University President Roderick McDavis received a comparable (29 percent) raise that brought his salary to $380,000.
Becky Watts, McDavis' chief of staff, compared Gee's decision to McDavis' budget recommendations this year. McDavis recommended there be no raises or bonuses except for union employees this year - the year after he accepted a $85,000 raise. At the same time, he prioritized scholarship funding and pledged to give $50,000 to two scholarship programs.
Essentially
the same thing happened here that happened at Ohio State except for here it's much more than the president and the executive team Watts said. Here it's the president
the executive team
faculty and all (non-union) staff.
Gee will give all $220,000 to student scholarships. Raise and bonus money earmarked for Gee's 18 executive staffers, totaling $950,000, will also go to financial aid. McDavis pledged $50,000 over five years to the Urban and Appalachian Scholarships, keeping the remaining $290,000 of his raise over four years.
I really don't think that's a relevant comparison
said Joe McLaughlin, Faculty Senate chairman and a member of Budget Planning Council. It sounds like
at Ohio State
individuals made decisions about how to spend their own money. That's not what happened here.
Faculty Senate's presidential evaluation, released last week, noted that faculty believe McDavis has devoted too many university resources to administrative salaries.
Gee told The Columbus Dispatch in March that he wanted to be sensitive to students during the recession by giving back the money.
It's obviously a very difficult time for Ohio and many of its citizens
Gee said. This is a totally voluntary measure that our staff believes is the right thing to do given the economy.
McDavis and the Budget Planning Council recommended the wage freeze to help fill a $15 million hole in the university budget. The freeze saved OU about $5 million.
Despite budget cuts, OU has pumped money into scholarships.
Almost $5.2 million of the $16.7 million put toward the strategic plan this year was designated for scholarships, said Ann Fidler, interim associate provost for strategic initiatives. OU committed $2 million for Gateway scholarships and $700,000 to boost payouts from Ohio College Opportunity Grants this year. OU also set aside $550,000 of this year's tuition increase for scholarships and OU's neediest students
said Craig Cornell, vice provost for enrollment management.
Last year, 13 university presidents gave back proposed raises and bonuses, including Miami University President David Hodge who declined a $68,000 bonus. McDavis turned down a 3 percent raise in 2007, which amounted to about $8,840.
State officials have also foregone raises in the past year, including Higher Education Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, who cut his own $196,019 base salary last year by 4.75 percent.
Fingerhut's actions set an example for Ohio's university presidents, Watts said.
There is symbolism in the actions of state leaders and that symbolism is not lost on Dr. McDavis or the university leadership
she said.
