I, like many people in the last few weeks, recently saw the figure online from Cleveland Plain Dealer that ranked Ohioís private school presidents in terms of salary. Then I saw that our president, Grant Cornwell, was ranked fifth at $373,880 per year in compensation, losing predominantly to dramatically larger schools.
I, also like many students, was appalled. But did I look for any more sources to confirm or deny this? No ó not when I first judged the findings, at least. And I’m sure not many others did either ó otherwise, we as a campus probably wouldn’t have reacted so strongly. I’m not saying these outcries were completely irrational, but I do think we should know the facts before we jump to conclusions.
For example, let me start by saying that the figures note total compensation, with the operative word being ìtotal.” Big misconception on the campus. This figure that the Cleveland Plain Dealer swiped is off what’s called a 990 form, which is the new standard for IRS reports on financial data. These collect all things filed as compensation, not just the final pay check. Not only that, but I looked at the 990 from 2008 that this statistic referenced, and I found out that they compile a few categories, not just one.
I talked to Cornwell, and he said this figure on Cleveland Plain Dealer ìincluded a stipulated rental fee for the presidentís house in which I’m obligated to live, along with the cost of maintaining the grounds and custodial service. It also includes benefits.” Additionally, this figure includes the tuition benefits he gets for having a college-aged son, which other faculty and staff get as well.
So, really, his spot on the list we just received tells us virtually nothing by itself; other schools, with differing sizes, benefits and demands can sway the figure more than we realize. However, Cornwell did give another interesting statistic when I spoke with him: ìWith regard to my salary in 2007-2008, my salary was fourth among the Ohio Five [Oberlin College, Denison University, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan and Wooster].”
Here is what the 990 officially says, courtesy of www.foundationcenter.org: Cornwell received $305,000 in the category labeled ìCompensation,” and $68,880 in the category labeled ìContributions to employee benefit plans and deferred compensation plans.” Thereís the $373,880 that the Cleveland Plain Dealer alleged. Thereís also a $50,348 labeled ìExpense account and other allowances.”
For those who heard rumors that he was paid more than former president R. Stanton Hales was paid, I also looked up his 990 from his final year at the College. In his last year, Hales received $236,833 in ìCompensation,” $35,994 in ìContributions to employee benefit plans and deferred compensation plans” and $38,395 in ìExpenses account and other allowances.”
Bear in mind with these statistics that the Board of Trustees determines salaries, not the president. Itís okay to be mad, but an attack on Cornwell himself for this could be a bit misguided with that in mind.
In response to other related rumors, Cornwell also called the notion that other professors have received paycuts ìmisinformation,” and said that ìIn my second year I received a raise, as did almost all other faculty and staff. Because we have a merit system, some received more, some less.”
Cornwell also addressed the rumors about his compensation being second in the state when put in ratios to students on campus. ìI would caution that the implicit assumption in the query is that senior staff salary is correlated with student body size,” Cornwell said. ìWhile that is a factor to some degree, institutional quality,† resources, and market norms are also major factor in determining senior staff salary.† Senior staff have higher salaries at better colleges and universities, irrespective of size.† Look up the presidential salary and the student body size at, say, Haverford or Swarthmore, for example.”
As I wrap up my findings, let me stress the following one more time ó I am neither advocating an angry mob toward the Board of Trustees† nor the passive overlooking of the figures presented. What I do expect, however, is for the students of this campus to make informed observations before we blog about such matters, and for the faculty to continue giving honest facts about what is going on at our school in order for us to do so.
Beyond that, think what you wish; that opportunity to do so is one of the best parts of the kind of education offered here at the College.