Top salary could attract next leader

IU's next president would be the highest paid in the Big Ten, making twice that of former president Myles Brand, if the University's board of trustees follows a consultant's advice.\nBut IU will consider more than that in setting the new president's salary, said Stephen Ferguson, chairman of the presidential search committee and vice president of the IU board of trustees.\n"Part of it depends on the candidates," Ferguson said. "But we'll look at other Big Ten Universities such as Michigan, Ohio State and Iowa to see what their new presidents are earning. I've looked at the range of their salaries and we'll take them into consideration."\nJerry Baker, of the Atlanta firm Baker, Parker and Associates, suggested in December that IU offer its next president between $600,000 and $800,000.\nMyles Brand's made $307,660 last year.\nThe University of Michigan gave its president, who was voted in this August, a base salary of $475,000. A research university with a student population comparable to IU, Michigan offered its new president an overall salary within Baker's suggested range.\n"Major research universities such as Michigan or IU, with its hospital at IUPUI, tend to offer more money to their presidents since it involves so much more," University of Michigan spokesperson Julie Peterson said.\nMichigan will also offer a deferred compensation of $75,000, which makes the president's salary add up to $625,000. Peterson said this is used as a tool to reward University President Mary Sue Coleman for sticking with the school.\n"Retaining our new president is a priority of ours," Peterson said. "So in order to keep Coleman at Michigan, we are offering a $500,000 bonus as an incentive to stay."\nOther Big Ten universities offered their presidents much less. On Oct. 1, Ohio State University gave its new president, Karen A. Holbrook, $325,000, a raise from former President William Kirwan's salary of $275,000. Also, the University of Iowa hired David J. Skorton to begin this March with a base salary of $281,875.\nYet, what IU will offer its next president is an issue that will most likely not be announced until after the president is revealed.\n"It is really an issue we'll have an answer as we go further along in the process," IU trustee Sue Talbot said.\nRight now, after a period of advertising, the search committee has begun taking applications for former IU President Myles Brand's successor.\nFerguson said names are being compiled from constituencies both on campus and outside the University.\n"People have been submitting names of people they think would be a good president," Ferguson said. "Now we have to consider probably a hundred likely candidates, which will take awhile."\nAfter considering all of the candidates, the search committee will make a list of five finalists to present to the board.\nFerguson said candidates are being considered from both within and outside of the University.\n"The people whose names have been submitted are probably not aware that their name has been submitted," Ferguson said. "These are potential candidates that the search company and the committee will consider for the search firm to contact to determine potential interest if they do not apply."\nThe presidential search committee will meet next on Feb. 14 at the IUPUI campus.