Penn State chief ranks third in pay at U. S. public colleges
Penn State University’s president, Eric Barron, ranked among the highest- paid public university leaders in the country in 2018, according to a report released Sunday by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Mr. Barron, who was appointed president in 2014, made the majority of his $ 1.83 million salary on a $ 1 million completion package he received for staying with the university for five years, which included $ 800,000 in earned wages and $ 200,000 given at the end of each contract period.
In 2018, his contract was extended for three years through June 2022.
He was the third- highestpaid public university president in 2018, behind Texas A& M at College Station’s president, Michael Young, and University of Texas’ president, William McRaven, according to the report.
According to Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers, the president’s compensation is
determined through an assessment and comparison with pay levels at various peer institutions, both public and private.
Penn State’s board of trustees chair, Mark Dambly, said in a statement he believes that Mr. Barron has been “moving the university ahead on numerous and critical key initiatives.
“He continues to be focused on expanding access and affordability, savings and revenue implementation, economic development, addressing major issues of campus and public concern for higher education, building the strategic enterprise and implementing the University’s longrange Strategic Plan,” Mr. Dambly said.
Chronicle data reporter Dan Bauman, who compiled the report, said the data was compiled based on earnings in a full calendar year, while past surveys reflected the fiscal year. Mr. Bauman said there are pros and cons to reporting based on a calendar or fiscal year but thinks the change allows the report to reflect the full compensation package a president may have earned.
The Chronicle gathered the data by surveying public doctoral universities and state school systems or governing boards with at least three campuses or 50,000 total students in the most recent academic year and using public records requests.
The salaries include factors like base pay, bonuses, severance, deferred compensation, remaining reportable pay, nontaxable benefits and non- payroll compensation, Mr. Bauman said.
Also among the 2018 rankings were West Virginia University’s president, E. Gordon Gee, who made $ 902,952 and was placed at No. 26, and the University of Pittsburgh’s chancellor, Patrick Gallagher, who was ranked 83rd with a salary of $ 598,688.