Once again, University of Utah President Michael Young is the highest-paid president in Utah, beating the other 10 university and college presidents in the state.
The Utah State Board of Regents recently raised Young’s salary to $320,000 — a 5 percent increase from last year. The next highest-paid university president in Utah is Utah State University President Stan Albretch, who makes about $60,000 a year less than Young.
The raise, which will be effective on July 1, does not include Young’s extra compensations, which include retirement money, a Mercedes and a house in the affluent Federal Heights neighborhood.
“We have an excellent president who is not overly compensated,” said David Pershing, the U’s senior vice president for academic affairs.
“(Young’s) pay has to do with the size of the U and the size of its budget,” Pershing said.
The authorized salary increases for the rest of university and college presidents in Utah were approved on June 20. The raises, ranging from 3.5 to 7 percent, are part of an effort to bring Utah salaries closer to the national average, which is around $350,000.
The biggest pay increase — 7 percent — went to Utah Valley State College (soon to be Utah Valley University) President William Sederburg, who will make $181,216 a year.
At the bottom of the scale are Dixie State College President Lee Caldwell and Southern Utah University President Michael Benson, who both received a 3.5 percent increase.
Still, university presidents in Utah are underpaid compared with the national average, which is close to $350,000 a year for public schools and about $500,000 for private schools.
“President Young has been receiving many offers from other schools,” Pershing said.
Although Pershing declined to comment on what schools, he said they were “from the East.”
Mike Dransfield, a junior in film studies, said, “It seems that they value (Young’s) comfort more than the students. They should use the money for students instead.”
While Young is the highest-paid president in Utah, he is still not the highest paid employee at the U.
Kyle Whittingham, head football coach at the U, earned around $690,000 in 2006. Ray Giacoletti, former U men’s basketball coach, reported earnings of about $467,000 last year. Pershing is likewise paid more than his boss — earning more than $388,000 in 2006 — though Pershing notes that he does not receive the compensation for a car and house that Young does.