The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)

UConn President Maric’s contract details released

- By Dan Brechlin

UConn President Radenka Maric has been in her position since September and was an interim before that. But until last month, she was operating without a signed contract.

That contract has since become officially signed and the details now made public. The 14-page document details her duties, her salary and benefits and more.

Here are five things to know about the deal:

Salary

Maric’s base salary is $631,350. Like other UConn employees, she receives her paycheck every other week and that total figure is paid out throughout the year.

That salary is higher than her predecesso­r Thomas Katsouleas, who made $525,000 and had lower annual bonuses and a lower retention bonus.

Still, Maric’s salary is below $700,000 — a figure about 50 public universiti­es around the country pay to their presidents, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Bonuses and increases

Maric’s contract is not specific about what her pay increase may look like, only stating she “shall be entitled to any gross wage increases that may be awarded to management from time to time.

That said, she is entitled to an annual $90,000 annual performanc­e-based incentive if the school’s Board of Trustees determines she has fulfilled her obligation­s. If she has not, a portion or those funds can be awarded or it can be completely withheld. The board can also award Maric a bonus “in recognitio­n of exceptiona­l accomplish­ments.”

There is also a retention incentive worked into the contract that states she will accrue a $50,000 credit for each full year she is under contract. If she is continuous­ly employed through June 30, 2027, she will be paid out those credits — $250,000 in total. She would not receive any of that money if she does not maintain employment through that date. The contract also offers Maric the opportunit­y to take the annual $50,000 credits and apply those funds toward a retirement plan of her choosing instead.

Tickets, a vehicle and more

Maric is assigned a state vehicle and a driver, both of which are only to be used for university business. In addition, Maric will also receive a monthly car allowance of $1,250.

UConn is responsibl­e for travel for “reasonable” university-related business and expenses incurred while she is traveling and acting in her role as university president. The same goes for any education conference­s, convention­s, seminars and “other profession­al growth activities to advance the interests” of UConn.

Maric is also entitled to up to six tickets for UConn athletic events and artistic or cultural events.

Lastly, it’s not unusual for a president to host events tied to the university at their personal residence. As such, Maric’s contract notes that “appropriat­e University staff will take reasonable steps to (a) prepare those areas of the residence and grounds expected to be utilized by guests in connection with the event and (b) restore the residence to the condition it was in immediatel­y prior to any such event.”

She is not to host more than 10 large receptions at her personal residence without prior consent from the board chair.

Post-presidency

UConn’s last few presidents have returned to the classroom or lecture hall, offering them a chance to reconnect with students and also be entitled to a higher pay.

Maric’s contract appears to have taken the past into account. She is allowed to return to a role as a tenured faculty member as a professot of chemical and bimolecula­r engineerin­g. Her specific pay, however, is outlined in this contract at $347,585 plus any collective­ly bargained base salary wage increases awarded to union members.

The last two presidents — Katsouleas and Susan Herbst — were allowed a “return-to-faculty” provision that allowed them to remain at the university at a salary equal to that of its highest paid faculty member.

Both are projected to earn $365,380 this year.

Maric will also be entitled to a sabbatical at the end of her presidency.

Beginning and ending

The contract, despite being signed Jan. 17, is retroactiv­e to Sept. 30, 2022. The contract is a five-year deal that ends June 30, 2027.

Maric and the board are required to meet at least a year in advance of the expiration date to determine whether to extend the contract.

Maric is allowed to resign at any point without cause, as long as she gives 30 days written notice. If she opts to leave the university, resigning as a faculty member, she will be paid all salary and benefits up until her effective day of terminatio­n. If she chooses to continue as faculty, she will be entitled to her post-presidency benefits, as long as she has not completed the full five-year term.

There are also various clauses that explain that the university could terminate Maric for cause, if justified, for various reasons.

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