The president of the College of Wooster was the third-highest paid of 25 private colleges in Ohio in 2010, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Grant Cornwell’s total compensation of $633,340 included $320,000 in base pay and the balance in bonuses, incentives, deferred compensation and other perks and financial benefits, according to the industry newspaper’s annual analysis of private, nonprofit college presidents’ pay.
The report, released Monday, found that 36 of 493 presidents nationwide with institutional budgets of $50 million or more made in excess of $1 million in total compensation in 2010, 2.8 percent more than the previous year.
The industry newspaper combed federal income tax filings to determine that the highest paid president nationwide was J. Robert Kerrey of the 7,000-student New School in New York City.
The former Nebraska governor made $3 million in his last year at the New School, including a $1.2 million retention bonus to ensure a smooth transition to his successor, the Chronicle said.
Among Ohio private colleges, Barbara Snyder of Case Western Reserve University was the leader with total compensation of $730,000, 66th nationwide. Daniel J. Curran of the University of Dayton made $669,400, 80th nationwide.
Cornwell came in 86th nationwide, thanks largely to a $149,000 bonus in 2010, the highest that year in Ohio.
College of Wooster spokesman John Finn said the school had no comment on Cornwell’s salary.
The 2,000-student college is among the most pricey in Ohio, with tuition, fees, room, board and books at about $50,000 a year.
Among other private colleges in the Akron-Canton area, Richard Giese of the University of Mount Union came in fourth statewide with total compensation of $626,400, a 62 percent increase over the previous year. That includes five years of deferred compensation at $50,000 a year, which the Chronicle erroneously added to Giese’s base pay in its report, according to Pat Heddleston, Mount Union’s vice president of business affairs.
“His base salary is fairly modest when compared to other institutions. There’s just this little blip,” Heddleston said.
Mount Union, in Alliance, enrolls about 2,200 students. Tuition, fees, room and board total about $36,600 annually.
Meanwhile, Richard Jussaume of Walsh University in North Canton came in 17th statewide with $319,300; and Wilbert Friesen, then-interim president of Malone University, was 21st at $183,000.
The full list of executive pay is available at www. chronicle.com.
Carol Biliczky can be reached at cbiliczky@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3729.
