University of Arizona’s New President Secures Nearly $1M Pay Package

The University of Arizona will soon see a significant change in its leadership’s compensation. Dr. Robert C. Robbins will become the highest-paid university president in state history under a three-year contract expected to be approved by the Arizona Board of Regents this Friday, receiving an annual compensation of $988,000.

Robbins, currently the CEO of Texas Medical Center earning over $1.2 million annually, stated last month that he anticipated a “major pay cut” upon assuming the UA presidency on June 1. Despite this reduction, the offered salary will surpass that of the current UA president, Ann Weaver Hart, who will continue to receive her $670,000 salary until June 2018.

The combined presidential compensation for Robbins and Hart will exceed $1.6 million for the next school year. This hefty sum highlights the university’s commitment to securing top-tier leadership.

“I’ve never been really motivated by money,” Robbins mentioned, acknowledging that his UA pay will come $12,000 short of $1 million. However, incentives based on performance goals could push his earnings over the million-dollar threshold.

Robbins’ new salary outpaces that of Michael Crow, the president of Arizona State University, by $200,000. The extra amount for Robbins will be supplied by private donations facilitated through the University of Arizona Foundation, which recently endowed an “endowed presidential leadership chair” to bolster presidential finances continually.

John-Paul Roczniak, the foundation’s CEO, emphasized that this endowment demonstrates a long-term investment in robust leadership for the university. “The extra cash will help the UA attract and retain top leaders,” he added. Robbins himself has expressed an intention to remain at UA for at least a decade.

Despite Robbins’ support from major donors, many UA faculty members favored ASU executive Sethuraman Panchanathan for the position. The regents launched the search last fall following Hart’s announcement to step down when her current contract expires in June 2018, seeking new leadership ahead of time.

Upon her exit on May 31, Hart will receive “liquidated damages” including her full presidential pay package until her contract ends. Subsequently, she will transition to a tenured faculty position within the College of Education with a salary matching that of the highest-paid faculty member, currently Dean Ronald Marx, earning approximately $159,000 annually.

Contact reporter Carol Ann Alaimo at 573-4138 or calaimo@tucson.com. On Twitter: @StarHigherEd.