Trustees extend McRobbie’s role

IU President Michael McRobbie’s contract will be extended for five more years after a unanimous vote at the board of trustees meeting Friday at IU-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Board member Steve Ferguson said he made the proposal during the new business portion of the meeting. He said the proposal was not on the agenda for the meeting and that he brought it up on his own. Ferguson said he wanted to make the proposal because he thinks IU needs to keep McRobbie around.

“I think he has done an excellent job as president,” Ferguson said.

There are many top universities that will be looking for new presidents, and McRobbie would be a top candidate for those universities, he said. They extended his contract to keep McRobbie at IU for as long as possible.

“We would like to see McRobbie end his career at IU,” Ferguson said.

The motion authorized board of trustees President William Cast to draft a new contract extending McRobbie’s current contract, IU spokesman Larry MacIntyre said.

MacIntyre said the current presidential contract was written in 2007 and lasts five years, ending on June 30, 2012. Once drafted and signed, McRobbie’s new contract will end on June 30, 2017.

As of now, the only part of the contract that has been discussed has been the five-year extension, MacIntyre said. Parts of McRobbie’s contract, like salary, have yet to be discussed.

“The contract has not formally been written, but McRobbie’s contract will be extended,” he said.

Ferguson said when he made the proposal he did not have a pay increase in mind.
Although Ferguson said he thinks McRobbie is underpaid compared to other Big Ten presidents, he doesn’t envision a salary increase for McRobbie.

“We are under a salary freeze,” Ferguson said. “Along with budget cuts, I don’t think his salary will be changed.”

McRobbie’s current salary is published as $425,000 a year. The contract will not be able to be fully discussed for a few weeks, he said, because McRobbie will be out of the country.

McRobbie is currently traveling with Elinor Ostrom to Stockholm and will not be able to sit down and discuss the contract in full, MacIntyre said.

“We do not know how long he will be traveling, but when he gets back the new contract will be worked out,” he said.