President Pay Ranks High At Miami University

BY JAMES STEINBAUER
Miami University journalism student

Miami University President Gregory Crawford will be paid a yearly salary of $495,000, a more than 14 percent increase from former president David Hodge’s base pay of $432,022, according to Crawford’s employment contract.

The contract, obtained by Patch on Monday, shows that in addition to his base salary, Crawford will be paid a yearly, performance-based bonus of up to $75,000. Miami’s Board of Trustees will determine Crawford’s bonus during an annual evaluation each August.

In his 10th and final year as president, Hodge picked up a bonus of $86,404. Miami’s former president declined his bonus every year before then, an act that other university presidents, including former University of Cincinnati President Santo Ono, have embraced.

Deferred dollars, too

Crawford will also earn $30,000 a year in deferred compensation — a total of $150,000 that will be paid to him when his five-year contract with Miami expires on June 30, 2021.

READ CRAWFORD'S CONTRACT HERE

According to data collected by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the median base pay for presidents at public colleges in 2015 was $384,115. Typically, a public college president receives 89 percent of his or her compensation as base pay, The Chronicle reported in July. Other compensation includes bonuses and deferred compensation.

Wright State University President David R. Hopkins topped the list of Ohio public university presidents last year with a total compensation package of $854,220, according to the Wright State University’s pay database.

OSU's Drake at top

Data collected by the Chronicle of Higher Education indicates that Ono earned $525,000 in base pay and $625,000 in total compensation last year, before he left UC in June for the University of British Columbia. Michael Drake of Ohio State University received the highest base pay in Ohio at $800,0000.

Although the 2015 base pay of Ohio University’s president Roderick Davis and Kent State University’s president Beverly Warren were higher than David Hodge’s base pay -- at $465,000 and $450,000, respectively -- Crawford’s salary exceeds all but Ono and Drake’s 2015 base pay wages among Ohio public university presidents.

Crawford’s contract also shows that, in addition to Miami’s standard employment benefits, the university will provide him with a life insurance policy worth almost $1.2 million.

For transportation, Crawford can choose between an automobile allowance of $750 a month or a package that includes a university-provided Chrysler, Ford or General Motors car with free insurance, maintenance and gas.

Renate Crawford also paid

Crawford’s wife, Renate Crawford, will also draw a salary this academic year. At their meeting June 24, the Board of Trustees elected her university ambassador and adjunct professor of physics. She will be paid a yearly salary of $30,700.

Greg Crawford will be officially sworn in as Miami’s president during an inauguration ceremony on Oct. 10. He joined Miami on July 1 from the University of Notre Dame, where he most recently served as vice president and associate provost.

Photo: Gregory and Renate Crawford spend their first day at Miami July 1. -- Photo by Jeff Sabo

This story was produced in partnership with The Miami Student. Emily Williams contributed.