NU regents OK executive pay raises
OMAHA — The University of Nebraska Board of Regents has approved a proposal that would raise university administrators’ salaries.
NU President J.B. Milliken will receive a 19 percent raise, to more than $366,500 this year from $307,227 last year. The chancellors of the system’s four campuses also will receive raises ranging from 7 percent to nearly 20 percent.
The raises are intended to bring NU administrators’ salaries up to par with the system’s peer institutions. Much of the money for the salary increases comes from private donations to the University of Nebraska Foundation, while previously approved merit raises will come from state funds.
The regents unanimously approved the pay raises on Friday.
Under the approved proposal, University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Harold Maurer would receive the highest raise, from $321,638 to $385,695, a nearly 20 percent increase. Just under $15,000 of that, or 4.6 percent, is a state-funded merit raise.
Other chancellors would receive the following:
— University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman, $305,825, a near 15 percent increase from last year’s $266,136. Of that, $12,242 — or 4.6 percent — is a state-funded merit raise.
— University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen, $217,367, an 8.7 percent increase from last year’s $199,933 salary. Of that, $8,797 — or 4.4 percent — is state-funded.
— University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor John Christensen, $256,795, a 7 percent increase from last year’s $240,000. Of that, $11,280 — or 4.7 percent — is state-funded.
A university news release said that a survey found that all of NU’s leaders were paid less than those at other institutions comparable in size and scope to the University of Nebraska system. The salary gap ranged from about 5 percent behind for the Omaha chancellor to nearly 31 percent for the UNMC chancellor.
“We do not expect or strive to be at the top of the list of the highest-paying public universities, but we don’t want to be last on the list either,” said Regent Jim McClurg, who led to effort to approve the pay increases. “Our goal is to be reasonably competitive, and we know we will have to be when we go into the market for new leadership.”
NU President J.B. Milliken will receive a 19 percent raise, to more than $366,500 this year from $307,227 last year. The chancellors of the system’s four campuses also will receive raises ranging from 7 percent to nearly 20 percent.
The raises are intended to bring NU administrators’ salaries up to par with the system’s peer institutions. Much of the money for the salary increases comes from private donations to the University of Nebraska Foundation, while previously approved merit raises will come from state funds.
The regents unanimously approved the pay raises on Friday.
Under the approved proposal, University of Nebraska Medical Center Chancellor Harold Maurer would receive the highest raise, from $321,638 to $385,695, a nearly 20 percent increase. Just under $15,000 of that, or 4.6 percent, is a state-funded merit raise.
Other chancellors would receive the following:
— University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Harvey Perlman, $305,825, a near 15 percent increase from last year’s $266,136. Of that, $12,242 — or 4.6 percent — is a state-funded merit raise.
— University of Nebraska at Kearney Chancellor Doug Kristensen, $217,367, an 8.7 percent increase from last year’s $199,933 salary. Of that, $8,797 — or 4.4 percent — is state-funded.
— University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor John Christensen, $256,795, a 7 percent increase from last year’s $240,000. Of that, $11,280 — or 4.7 percent — is state-funded.
A university news release said that a survey found that all of NU’s leaders were paid less than those at other institutions comparable in size and scope to the University of Nebraska system. The salary gap ranged from about 5 percent behind for the Omaha chancellor to nearly 31 percent for the UNMC chancellor.
“We do not expect or strive to be at the top of the list of the highest-paying public universities, but we don’t want to be last on the list either,” said Regent Jim McClurg, who led to effort to approve the pay increases. “Our goal is to be reasonably competitive, and we know we will have to be when we go into the market for new leadership.”
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