Footing the bill


CMU's Board of Trustees last week unanimously approved an 8.6 percent pay raise for University President Michael Rao.

Starting in January, Rao's base salary will be $285,000. His current base salary is $262,500.

On paper, it doesn't seem like that much money for the position Rao holds. After all, former head football coach Brian Kelly reportedly will earn about $800,000 in Cincinnati.

But stop and think about it.

Rao got a similar pay increase around this time a year ago, at the same time the board offered him a contract extending until 2012.

With that deal came not only a 10 percent jump in base pay, but a basket of bonuses as well.

On March 1, he got a $60,000 signing bonus. His deal also included a $70,000 retention bonus in 2007 and another $80,000 retention bonus in 2008. From 2009 through 2011, he'll get annual bonuses of $50,000.

Those bonuses still stand, meaning the amount Rao's actually going to make in 2007 is $355,500.

At the board meeting, trustees lavished Rao with praise, saying he's helped bring about many changes.

They said part of their job is to retain a good president and that to stay on top, CMU has to have the top leadership.

It's true that Rao, by many standards, is a good university president.

He has done a lot for CMU and has stepped up in recent months in terms of leading and backing the university's effort in increasing diversity. He kept the Speaker Series alive - for at least one more semester - with money from his own office budget.

But there are some tougher questions that need to be asked.

Has all that much really changed in the last year? Have those things that have changed at CMU been for the better? And how many of those things were because of Rao?

The honest answer to those questions are probably: No, some and a little.

CMU hasn't had a miraculous turn around in the past year.

Not to say things are horrible - they're actually not bad - but have things been boosted by 9 percent or more?

No - unless you count tuition.

Board of Trustees haven't been shy about giving students an increase in their bills either, the latest being a 17.8 percent hike for this year's incoming freshmen.

So at least we know who's footing the bill for CMU to have the "top" leadership.

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