Bollinger's salary top in state

By Chris Metinko
Daily Staff Reporter

Thirteen of the 15 presidents at state universities in Michigan receive salaries above the national average of $119,219 for university presidents, according to statistics recently released by the College and University Personnel Association.

The highest-paid of these presidents is University President Lee Bollinger, at $275,000.

"The salary for the President of the University of Michigan is certainly quite appropriate," said Lisa Baker, associate vice president for University relations.

Thomas Bugbee, secretary to the Board of Trustees and assistant to the president at Lake Superior State, said the trustees decide the president's salary based on salaries at other institutions.

"We look at the salary data, and we determine it from the numbers," Bugbee said. "We make sure it's attractive enough to recruit and retain a president."

"All salaries are in a market," said Bollinger, stating that university president salaries are no different from other professional positions.

The second-highest-paid Michigan public university president is Wayne State University's Donald Adamany at $186,680, followed closely by Michigan State University President Peter McPherson at $185,400 this year.

"Every year the (Wayne State University) Board of Governors hold an evaluation to determine if the president will receive a merit increase," said Robert Wartner, department of media relations for Wayne State.

Although Bollinger's salary is highest in the state for a public university president, it is comparable to the salaries of presidents at larger public universities across the country.

University of Texas at Austin President Robert Berdahl earns $206,000 and the former chancellor of the University of California-Berkeley, Chiang-Lin Tien, earned $222,700 last year.

The Michigan presidential salaries do not include housing, cars and other benefits presidents receive from the universities. Benefits range from vacation days to memberships to the Detroit Club.

Bollinger receives housing at the traditional presidential residence on South University Avenue, a 1997 Jeep Cherokee and 25 days of vacation a year from the University.

Presidents' salaries:
Lee Bollinger - University of Michigan: $275,000
Chiang-Lin Tien - University of California at Berkeley: $222,700
Robert Berdahl - University of Texas at Austin: $206,000
Donald Adamany - Wayne State University: $186,680
Peter McPherson - Michigan State University: $185,400

09-03-97