A potential priority item for Arizona lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session: lowering the salaries of the state’s public university presidents.
Perhaps it was Thanksgiving that offered Arizona leadership some much-needed time for reflection. Senate President Warren Petersen mused the day after Thanksgiving that Arizona’s university presidents ought to make less than the millions they make at present.
“AZ University presidents are making over a million dollars per year with base salary and benefits,” said Petersen. “Seems to me that we could do better for less. Would you support a reduction/cap on their pay? Sounds like a good bill to hear in our #DOGE committees.”
AZ University presidents are making over a million dollars per year with base salary and benefits. Seems to me that we could do better for less. Would you support a reduction/cap on their pay? Sounds like a good bill to hear in our #DOGE committees.
— Warren Petersen (@votewarren) November 30, 2024
State Representative Alexander Kolodin offered to save taxpayers some money with a “lower” salary of $750,000 to preside over Arizona State University (ASU).
I volunteer to be president of ASU for a mere 750k!
— Rep. Alexander Kolodin (@realAlexKolodin) November 30, 2024
Earlier this month, the Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) approved base pay increases for two of the state’s three university presidents.
ASU President Michael Crow receives a base pay increase from over $834,000 last year to over $892,500 this year. ABOR also awarded Crow about $305,000 this year for achieving annual and at-risk compensation goals.
Crow’s annual goals (worth $180,000, all achieved) concerned a science and technology economic development strategy outlined in “strategic pathways document” detailing the “tools, levers, and processes” to bring Arizona from the top of third tier (per the Milken Institute) to the bottom of the first tier; designing and launching an all-industry training center for the semiconductor industry; an artificial-augmented intelligence strategy outlined in a “strategic plan and strategies” for optimizing the use of augmented/artificial intelligence; and fully implementing the General Education Program for first-time incoming students.
Crow’s multiple-year goals (worth $160,000, only four out of five achieved) concerned increased enrollment and student successes in adaptive learning courses, increasing overall course completion to over 80 percent; increasing Arizona student enrollment and graduates by over 10 percent (not achieved); completing the design of the Global Futures Laboratory and merging the three schools of the College of Global Futures; building and documented enhanced regional collaboration in research; and submitting a report demonstrating substantial expansion of ASU Digital Prep within Arizona to at least 150 schools.
Between his base pay and at-risk goals, Crow made over $1.1 million this year. ABOR gave Crow $245,000 in annual at-risk compensation goals for this 2024-2025 year.
ABOR extended Crow’s contract through 2029.
Northern Arizona University (NAU) President Jose Luis Cruz Rivera received a base pay increase from $594,100 to about $713,000. ABOR also awarded Cruz Rivera $270,000 in annual and at-risk compensation goals.
Cruz Rivera’s annual goals (worth $150,000) concerned launching NAU Health, doubling the number of credentials awarded in health-related fields by 2030, by hitting the milestones of establishing a College of Nursing, launching the Office of NAU Health, and presenting for Board review and approval a comprehensive plan for establishing the College of Applied Community Medicine; and advancing development of a statewide network of colleges by hitting the milestones of securing ABOR endorsement for proposed actions related to market assessment and funding strategies, launching an A++ certified academic pathway for Fall 2024, and presenting preliminary plans for partnership efforts into the K-12 realm.
Cruz Rivera’s multiple-year goals (worth $120,000) concerned developing a plan to expand students from working class families, increasing graduation rates, and narrowing completion gaps for certain demographics; developing and submitting a plan for statewide expansion of NAU’s Allied Health Programs; developing and implementing a plan to increase NAU’s profile and visibility within the Phoenix, statewide, and national Latino communities; and developing and implementing a plan to enhance NAU’s profile as a national leader serving Native American students through increased totals of Native Americans receiving degrees and credentials.
Between Cruz Rivera’s base pay and at-risk goals, Cruz Rivera made over $864,000 this past year. ABOR gave Cruz Rivera compensation goals amounting to $190,000 for 2024-2025.
ABOR extended Cruz Rivera’s contract through 2027.
The recently-departed University of Arizona (UArizona) President Robert Robbins receives a base pay of over $734,000. Although Robbins left his position in October, he will continue to receive payment through July 2026.
UArizona’s new president, Suresh Garimella, received an immediate starting base salary of $810,000. Garimella came to Arizona from the University of Vermont.
Total compensation reported above excluded earnings accrued from the university presidents’ membership within ABOR’s Enterprise Executive Committee (EEC). The presidents also receive a split payment for achieving at-risk compensation EEC goals. This past year, Crow, Cruz Rivera, Robbins, and executive director John Arnold each also received payments of $40,000 for EEC goals. Their new at-risk compensation goals could amount to $240,000 total, or $60,000 each additionally.
Why not just turn ASU into a privately run institution of “Higher Learning”? Stop giving them State funding and let them compete in the market for students, tuition and donations. Then they could pay whatever salaries they wanted to pay. And they would not be funded by the taxpayer’s dime. ASU would then have true academic freedom. I’m not going to hold my breath while waiting for it to happen.
By the end of this decade, AI will have completely disrupted 80% of any university’s std. operating model. For example…. a kid will be able to either rent, download or purchase the software for some engineering degree, say Civil, to their computer with augmented & virtual reality modules, that will allow labs, hands-on work, etc. They can work at their own pace, take tests that are certified by professional orgs or even state boards, have 1-on-1 instruction with AI profs, etc. And do it all in under 2 yrs, and at 10-15% the $$$ cost of 4 yrs at a university. Universities as presently operated are dinosaurs, and they’re in total denial about this.
State schools are just that: state, i.e. public, i.e. non-profit institutions. Crazy compensation comes from crazy profits, and if it’s not about the profits then the compensation should be more inline with that of other ‘public servants’.
Typical political idiocy to lump all into one.
Fact is, Michael Crow is running a very professional, profitable ASU. Fire the other two, and obtain academic leadership that meets its goals.
This process is called “managing”. The legislature is not qualified and should not be involved.
You can dumb down the grading system, increasing the graduation rate thereby making you eligible for performance bonuses. For anyone complaining about salaries… go after some of the coaching staffs.
Suggest to hire a no nonsense, not woke, not globalist, real educator and administrator, AZ native, and give him a normal salary.
A million dollars is over ten times the Governor’s $95,000 or the AZ Attorney General’s $90,000 salary. The US Attorney also makes about $195,000, all much less, but more important.
That’s a great idea. While you’re at it. Lower the college professors salary while you’re at it and audit each schools books and maybe stop making college coaches the highest paid state employees
if lower professors’ salaries, many will leave. You do realize that having competitive salaries is important to maintain good employees, don’t ya?
make over a 1M and lost track of 240M at UA… ROTFLMAO for an old look at ‘BOZO’ the clone.. the secience dept lost tome parts and pieces… duh dat’s all folks
Well, when they get done with that then how about checking out the Pima BOS salaries? Actually, check out any political person who can’t do their job unless it is to vote for raises for themselves!