Trustees OK $10K-plus raise for Rao
Chris McCarty

The raise increases Rao’s annual salary to $220,500, pay on a biweekly basis of $8,076.92 until Dec. 31. After Jan. 1, the university will paid him a biweekly amount of $8,884.61.

Rao said his evaluation was based on merit.

“The board Chairman (William Johnson) looked, with the rest of the board, at a number of items including one of the benchmarks — fundraising — which, in my first two years, saw a 40-plus-percent increase,” he said. “Grant funding also was an area of interest, and that has increased fairly dramatically.”

Johnson said the board is happy with Rao’s accomplishments thus far.

“This is mainly an effort on the part of the trustees to retain Rao. We think he is doing a good job, and we want to keep him,” he said.

In response to his raise of $10,500, Rao said “most groups did get increases at the university.”

“I think too that there is some part that I will put into my scholarship fund. My guess is that, by the time that is done, I won’t be far off from what other groups got,” he said.

Trustee James Fabiano Sr., chairman of the ad hoc committee to evaluate the president, could not be reached for comment.

Mike Silverthorn, Public Relations and Marketing executive director of news services, said Rao still remains below the average of university president salaries in Michigan and the Mid-American Conference.

“The new salary is $28,500 below other Michigan presidents, and $33,500 below the MAC average,” he said.

Rao ranks ninth of the 15 university presidents in terms of salary.

“Basically, (the raise) it’s a reflection of the board’s confidence and approval of the president,” Silverthorn said.

Undergraduate education still is important to both the board and Rao, he said.

“One thing to keep in mind is that the board and I are definitely cognizant of the importance of the central goal of having scholarships for students, and continuing to do whatever is possible to expand the undergraduate experience — where most of the scholarships will go,” Rao said.

The CMU Faculty Association agreed to a 2-percent salary increase, and Rao’s increase is nearly 4.8 percent.

Johnson said he hopes faculty are not upset only because of the percentage.

“I hope they will think his salary increase relative to his peers is probably about where they are with their peers,” he said.

Chris Peterson, Gaylord senior, said red sidewalks, Broomfield Road fences and the university wordmark are some things he doesn’t agree with.

“I don’t believe in three-quarters of the things Rao’s doing right now. It’s just a joke,” he said.

Some students, including Peterson, said they don’t think Rao deserves a raise.

“As of right now, no,” he said. “I don’t see him accomplishing anything that merits his raise, especially how he handled the faculty (contract) situation.”

Students who must utilize loans to pay for mounting tuition don’t believe it is the right time for Rao to receive a raise.

While Peterson has been at CMU for three years, he has accumulated several thousand dollars in loan debt.

“I’m trying to get out of here and they keep raising the price,” he said.

Paul Marsh, Mount Pleasant graduate student, said he thinks Rao’s salary should be in line with the average salary of state university presidents in Michigan.

“But then who’s to say their’s isn’t too high either?”

The fact Rao is receiving a raise when there is a threat of a tuition hike “doesn’t send a very good message,” he said.

Marsh anticipates graduation within the next two years, and is working toward a master’s degree while working full-time.

He also has two kids.

The amount of money Marsh has to pay back in student loans is substantial.

“If I had it in cash, I could buy a nice economy car,” he said.

Pamela Pena, Clinton Twp. senior, said the $10,500 could be going toward better things.

“I just think that the money we have available should be going to issues and areas that need it, rather than to somebody’s pocketbook,” she said.

Share: