The contracts for Florida state college presidents range widely and in several cases seem to violate state law, according to a review released Monday by Gov. Rick Scott’s top oversight official.
In her report, Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel wrote that presidents at the 28 institutions are making anywhere from $143,866 to $630,157 in the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, when retirement benefits and other perks are taken into account. In all, compensation for the presidents amounted to more than $9.8 million, though some of that is not state money.
Miguel said how much the presidents actually make was sometimes difficult to figure out, and that there didn’t appear to be any guidelines for how much the executives should be paid.
“Therefore, we recommend that the boards of trustees, in consultation with the Division (of Florida Colleges), jointly establish the parameters upon which the presidents’ total compensation is determined, document the factors upon which compensation is based and standardize the methodology across state colleges,” Miguel said.
Scott, who asked for the review in October, issued a statement late Monday saying colleges should focus their resources on helping students get degrees that will lead to jobs.
“Every dollar we invest in our colleges must be geared toward this ultimate goal,” he said. “The report issued today provides information necessary for our State College Board of Trustees to use when reviewing current and future compensation contracts.”
The report also highlights 11 colleges where contracts could be read in some cases to entitle presidents to more than the maximum 20 weeks of severance pay allowed by state law. At least two of those contracts hadn’t been signed or amended since the law took effect in 2011, and many of the remaining colleges responded that they had fixed the problem by the time the final draft of the report was issued.
The chairman of the board of trustees for Pensacola State College pleaded in vain for his school’s name to be removed from the list, saying the oversight was inadvertent and was quickly corrected when an early draft of the report pointed it out and that people who read the report might think the college was intentionally breaking the law.
Some of the colleges also pushed back against the idea of restricting schools’ ability to set their compensation for presidents.
“With a system as diverse as ours in terms of size, geography, community demographics and businesses, which leads to varying mix of programs to meet those local needs, it is difficult to imagine that a ‘one size fits all’ formula for presidential compensation would be very effective,” wrote Lake Sumter State College Board Chairman Timothy Morris in a response. “If, for example, size were a limiting factor, colleges like ours would become training grounds for new presidents who would soon move on to the next opening at a larger school. Such a model would be destabilizing for our college and others like us.”
Morris also said the 20-week limit on severance pay for college presidents could hurt recruiting by giving presidents too little job security. Lake Sumter was not one of the colleges cited for allowing more than 20 weeks’ worth of severance pay.
–News Service of Florida
Lt Dan says
These liberal, progressive, commie’s not only “BRAINWASHING” our youth but stealing our money as well.
Reminds me of the Obama administration !!!!
Gia says
IT’S a ripoff, they don’t deserve at all.
Ron Hubbard says
Yes, college compensation should be over $600,000 a year to indoctrinate our children with socialist dogma and hatred of America in line with progressive leftist philophy.
Joe B says
System is broke and taxpayers are paying for it.
Ogreagain says
Bull hockey, you take taxes dollars. the state should say what you get paid. we do fund it after all…
confidential says
These Boards of education wether colleges or schools, waste our taxes in over paid salaries to administrative whales, like drunken sailors. No wonder we can no longer afford education! Meanwhile the mass of taxpayers and students go around counting our pennies and doing without, to pay their excesses.
Sherry Epley says
Not to confuse any one of the commentators with actual facts. . . The highest paid state university president in Florida is a REPUBLICAN. Bernard Machen, president of the University of Florida has a total compensation package of $834,562.
According to WIKIPEDIA:
In January 2008, Machen publicly endorsed U.S. Senator John McCain for President of the United States. However, Machen cautioned that it should not be interpreted as an endorsement from the entire UF community. Bernie Machen also described how he has been a long-time supporter of Senator McCain.[21]
In August 2009, Machen publicly endorsed George LeMieux to fill retiring U.S. Senator Mel Martinez’s United States Senate seat. Machen cited LeMieux’s strong support for higher education and endorsed Governor Charlie Crist’s selection to fill the open senate seat.
Off The Wall says
This is why kids can’t afford an education and why universitites always have to raise their rates. If they truly cared about the children and our future, they would not accept these outragious salaries. This should be criminal.
Chris says
All these people care about is lining their own pockets and their circle of friends. It’s kissy-kiss axx and taxpayers pay for it. The same with the Flagler School System. They have the audacity to ask for more money every year in the name of learning.