Monday, August 31, 2009
Former Chancellor Robert Hemenway has signed a new contract and will begin teaching at the University in the Fall 2010 semester. Until then, he is still being paid the same salary he made as chancellor — $340,352 per year — as he takes a sabbatical to work on writing projects.
Despite his continued six-figure salary, only about a third of it will be paid with public dollars. According to a memo from the Kansas Board of Regents detailing Hemenway’s new agreement, public funds will pay him $120,000 per year. Under his new contract, the Kansas University Endowment Association is paying the other $220,352 of his yearly salary with private donor funds.
Information from the 2007-2008 Academic Year, according to the Endowment Association’s most recent annual report:
Total Support from Endowment Association: $112.1 million, a new record.
Facilities support: $40.7 million, 36.3 percent of total.
Student Support (excluding student loans): $27.7 million, 24.7 percent of total.
Educational Support: $23.9 million, 21.3 percent of total.
Faculty Support: $19.6 million, 17.5 percent of total.
Lynn Bretz, director of University Communications, said Hemenway’s contract was appropriate given his history with the University.
“A $120,000 salary for a full professor with a national reputation who has written a groundbreaking book is highly appropriate,” Bretz said. “And for Chancellor Hemenway, who worked for 14 years, 24-7, never taking a sabbatical, it’s absolutely appropriate.”
Mason Heilman, student body president, said he also thought the salary was justified. Heilman said he had heard no complaints about Hemenway’s agreement.
“Based on the work that Chancellor Hemenway did in his 14 years, I don’t think that this is an unreasonable compensation package at all,” Heilman said.
Heilman said he thought Hemenway could be valuable to the University as an ambassador to the Regents and other legislative bodies.
The Regents’ memo states that Hemenway is currently on a one-year sabbatical until July of next year to “focus on writing projects.” Hemenway will then teach one course per semester during the 2010-2011 academic year. After that, Hemenway must sign a new contract if he wishes to remain with the University.
Other benefits Hemenway will receive under this contract for continuing services include four tickets to all coming University athletic events, a graduate research assistant to support book projects, office space, secretarial and computer support, and any moving costs incurred during the position change.
The memo also details agreements the Regents made with former Pittsburg State University President Tom Bryant and former Kansas State University President Jon Wefald. Bryant and Wefald also stepped down recently and will receive benefit packages similar to Hemenway’s for the coming school year.
Salary information from the Kansas Board of Regents: Hemenway as chancellor, 2008-2009 Total Salary: $340,352 State paid: $267,177 Endowment Association paid: $73,175 Gray-Little as chancellor, 2009-2010 Total Salary: $425,000 State paid: $267,177 Endowment Association paid: $157,823 Hemenway as University professor, 2009-2010 Total Salary: $340,352 State paid: $120,000 Endowment Association paid: $220,352 Tom Bryant, former Pittsburg State University president Total Salary: $202,593 State Paid: $202,593 Jon Wefald, former Kansas State University president Total Salary: $255,298 State Paid: $255,298
Bryant will be paid $202,593 this year and will also receive office space, any moving costs and two tickets to Pittsburg State athletic events. Wefald will be paid $255, 298 this year and will also receive a graduate research assistant, office space, any moving costs and eight tickets to Kansas State athletic events. Wefald is also on sabbatical until next July.
Although both Bryant and Wefald’s total salaries are lower than Hemenway’s, they are being paid entirely by public funds. This means with the help of the Endowment Association, fewer state dollars will go toward paying Hemenway this academic year than either of the other state university CEOs who recently stepped down.
Kip Peterson, director of communications for the Regents, said the group was satisfied with the contracts of all three exiting CEOs, especially considering their combined 47 years of service in these critical positions. Peterson said the national average a CEO of a state university, whether chancellor or president, would make is about $500,000 a year.
“All of these packages are well below the national norm,” Peterson said.
Dale Seuferling, president of the Endowment Association, said the private dollars to pay Hemenway would come from donations designated for faculty support and retention, as well as some from “unrestricted funds for meeting special needs.”
According to the Endowment Association’s most recent annual report, private funds distributed by the group accounted for $16 million in salaries for professors at the University during the 2007-2008 academic year. These funds make up about 14 percent of all financial support the group provides to the University.
“As the governing board of the University of Kansas, the Regents is well aware of the budget cuts at KU,” Seuferling said. “They made a request to KU Endowment, and we responded to it.”
— — Edited by Abbey Strusz
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