President of UW to make $905,000 a year

University of Washington President Mark Emmert, already one of the highest-paid presidents of any public university in the country, got a raise of more than $150,000 Thursday.

UW regents agreed to set his total compensation at $905,000, which includes $620,000 in base salary, $250,000 in deferred compensation and other benefits. He had been making $752,700. The raise could make him the highest-paid president of any public university in the U.S.

He will now make $741,000 more than Gov. Chris Gregoire.

The raise, prompted by a positive performance review earlier this year, contains components aimed at retaining Emmert, a former UW student who grew up in Fife.

"There are many places Mark could go where he would earn even twice as much as this, but fortunately he is devoted to the University of Washington," Regent Craig Cole said.

This week the Chronicle of Higher Education reported that a survey showed Emmert was the third highest paid president of a public university in the United States last year.

And though college-president salaries have faced scrutiny lately with tuition rising steadily, UW regents decided unanimously Thursday that the work Emmert has done since he arrived at the UW in 2004, when the school was reeling from a string of controversies, warrants the $150,000 increase.

"He's one of the best presidents in the whole damn country," said regent Bill Gates Sr., father of the Microsoft Corp. co-founder.

The total compensation package includes a car allowance, club dues and expenses and retirement pay. Emmert and his wife, Delaine, also get to live in the UW's Washington Park "president's mansion," which underwent a $540,000 renovation before they moved in.

The raise is retroactive to September.

Emmert was hired to remake the UW's image. He came to the university in 2004 after serving as chancellor at Louisiana State University. At that time, the UW was reeling from scandals in its athletic program that included penalties against former football coach Rick Neuheisel for gambling and allegations that a team doctor illegally dispensed drugs to the university's softball team.

The university's image had suffered another blow when a criminal investigation was launched into the UW Medical Center's overbilling of Medicare and Medicaid. It also became known that regents had encouraged Emmert's predecessor, current Rutgers President Richard McCormick, to leave the school in 2002 because of an extramarital affair with a member of his administration.

Three-and-a-half years later, the Husky athletic programs seem to be moving away from scandal, though the football team hasn't had a winning season since Emmert arrived. And a massive remodel of Husky Stadium is being planned.

Emmert has been largely credited with the success of a fundraising campaign launched in 2004 to raise $2 billion -- a goal that was met 17 months early. And earlier this year, the UW was ranked 33rd in the nation in terms of endowments -- with well more than $1 billion. A decade ago, the UW's endowments totaled under $300 million.

Also earlier this year, the UW promised 5,600 full scholarships for needy students with its "Husky Promise" program, and Emmert continues to talk often about the need for affordable tuition and the importance of students having a chance to study abroad during their time at UW.

Emmert is paid more taxpayer money than Gregoire or any other public employee in the state. But his salary still pales when compared with one other familiar face -- football coach Tyrone Willingham earns roughly twice what the president makes.

UW SCANDALS

Scandal rocked the UW before Emmert's arrival in July of 2004.

November 2002: Richard McCormick, UW president from 1995 to 2002, is forced out by the Board of Regents, at least in part for having sex with a staff member.

June 2003: Head football coach Rick Neuheisel is fired for lying and gambling. Others in the athletic department are later punished for gambling as well.

August 2003: Two women sue UW, claiming that ex-UW football players sexually assaulted them and that university didn't do enough to prevent it.

October 2003: UW sports doctor William J. Scheyer has license suspended for improperly dispensing narcotics, tranquilizers, stimulants, steroids and other prescription drugs to athletes, trainers and himself.

December 2003: Head softball coach Teresa Wilson fired in the wake of investigations into the accusations that Scheyer handed out narcotics to softball players illegally.

January 2004: Athletic director Barbara Hedges retires six months early in the wake of the drug and gambling scandals.

May 2004: UW agrees to pay the federal government and a whistle-blower a total of $35 million for overbilling Medicaid and Medicare.

Emmert's track record has so far pleased UW regents. Here are a few recent examples.

September 2005: Emmert tells the Board of Regents that he wants his office and the regents to play a greater role in overseeing the UW's Medical School.

January 2007: UW announces its "Creating Futures" campaign hit its $2 billion fundraising campaign -- 17 months early.

February 2007: UW discusses plans to create a new public health institute. Later in the year, the university looks into setting up a College of the Environment.

April 2007: UW staffer Rebecca Griego is killed by an ex-boyfriend while in her office. The state Department of Labor and Industry later finds UW leaders weren't adequately versed in safety policy, but the university avoids a fine because of its good-faith effort to improve policies.

June 2007: University announces Husky Promise, which will provide scholarships to 5,600 needy students.

HIGHEST-PAID PRESIDENTS OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN 2006

David Roselle, University of Delaware: $874,687 total compensation. (Has since stepped down.)

John Casteen, University of Virginia: $753,672 total compensation.

Mark Emmert, University of Washington: $752,700 total compensation.

Mary Sue Coleman, University of Michigan system: $743,151 total compensation.

Mark Yudof, University of Texas system: $742,209

Source: the Chronicle of Higher Education