Pre-PCAR Pay Raises for Howard Administrators

During the 2010 academic year, before the PCAR process began in October 2009, top administrators received pay raises approved by the finance committee of the Board of Trustees. President Sidney A. Ribeau received the largest upswing in compensation, a nearly 200 percent increase.

When Ribeau became president in 2008, his take-home pay was $239,000, $704,000 with a base salary of $207,498. His base salary last year was $608,049. The new salary

figure of more than $700,000 becomes complete after tacking on nontaxable benefits of $100,000, which includes a $95,000 house paid by the university—a traditional custom.

While the current president's wages soared, his predecessor's plunged. H.P Swygert, president emeritus who currently teaches at the law school, received $2,290,646 in the 2008 to 2009 academic year, as reported in the Hilltop previously.

A lion-share of the million-dollar compensation was the disbursement of deferred payment—$1,730,363, to be exact—from a plan Swygert started in 1999.

Eleven of the top 18 highest paid employees at the university are administrators with offices in the Mordecai Johnson Administration Building or, in the case of several, had

offices in the Administration Building.

The trio of former administrators consists of: Virgil Ecton, retired vice president of university advancement, Olivier McGee, an ex-chief academic officer and Howard A.

English, a former research and compliance administrator.

Notably, Provost James Wyche's compensation does not appear on the IRS 990 form posted on the financial section of the university's website. Wyche joined the university

in February 2010, so he was not included in the IRS reporting for the 2009 to 2010 academic year.

The take-home pay of all employees was calculated without deferred payment, since employees will not receive it until later, after interest accrues.

For example, the university provides President Ribeau with a $70,000 deferred payment plan, which accrues six percent interest annually. Inclusion of the deferred payment, without taking into account the interest earned over the years, overestimates the take-home pay of administrators for the year that IRS form was completed.

Furthermore, "nontaxable benefits" and incentive compensation often make up for the loss of deferred compensation

Update: Salaries figures in this article combine salries with other categories of compensation including annual leave, retirement payments, separation agreements, non-taxable benefits, contributions to an individual's 403b plan and payments of salary deferred in prior years.

And, the "nearly 200 percent increase" in the president's salary is based on 2008 tax figures reflecting presidential compensation for the four months of 2008. The 2009 Form 990 represents a full year's compensation.