An editorial from The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Chronicle of Higher Education came out with an eyeopening report last week, showing that nine public college presidents earned more than $1 million in total compensation in 2013.
Topping the list was Gordon Gee, who was paid $6.1 million as the head of Ohio State University. Of course much of that was related to his departure. Gee’s big haul includes $3.3 million in deferred pay and $1.55 million in retirement and severance pay.
Gee has now moved to West Virginia University, where he is expected to make a more modest $775,000. Most of the other top-paid public college presidents earned in the $1 million to $1.6 million range. Pay is even higher for some private college presidents, with an earlier survey showing 42 making more than a million, with a handful earning more than $3 million a year.
The median pay for presidents in the Chronicle’s survey of public institutions was $479,000, and the median pay for private ones was a little less.
Most of the presidents in West Virginia are below that mark, but many in Ohio and Kentucky are much higher.
But overall — for public and private, large schools and small — salaries have been rising sharply over the past decade…