When he moves into the presidential suite on the fifth floor of Capen Hall in January, John B. Simpson will inherit the most lucrative pay package in the State University of New York system.
According to state officials, Simpson's annual compensation - which includes a base salary, an Amherst mansion and benefits from the UB Foundation - totals $400,000. It also ranks highly compared to presidential pay packages at major public universities.
Simpson's base annual salary of $225,000 is tied with Stony Brook University at the top pay among State University of New York university centers.
The presidents of UB and Stony Brook make more money because the universities are the only two in the SUNY system with medical schools, according to Dave Henahan, SUNY's director of public relations.
"When compensation is determined we look at the responsibilities the individual officer must hold," Henahan said. "We also look at peer institutions and the institution's category."
In addition, Simpson will receive benefits provided by the UB Foundation. According to media representatives at the three other SUNY university centers, none of those presidents currently receive external benefits, though some receive housing, a car or both.
Ed Schneider, executive director of the UB Foundation, refused to comment on the presidential compensation. No UB officials could confirm the content of the compensation.
Simpson's compensation package does include the UB presidential mansion at 889 LeBrun Road in Eggertsville, valued at $720,000 by the Amherst Town Assessor in 2003.
Schneider said the foundation purchased the home in the 1980s and provides it for the person serving as UB's president.
All told, with base salary as well as separate compensation, UB's presidency is worth approximately $400,000, according to Henahan.
Faculty Senate Chairman Peter A. Nickerson said the presidential position isn't quite as easy or enjoyable as it was a few years ago, so substantial fringe benefits at UB play a major factor in attracting candidates.
"There is a big issue in terms of how to get the top people," he said. "It's a very competitive market."
Simpson's pay package ranks highly compared to other state universities with medical schools.
According to 1999-2000 data from the College and University Personnel Association, UB's pay package is well above the mean of $316,468 for state universities with medical schools. The association surveyed 47 such schools for "total income," a statistic that includes private sources of compensation like the UB Foundation.
However, compared to the schools surveyed by the association, Simpson's base pay -- $225,000 per year -- ranks below the $281,806 average for similar schools.
According to university sources, the salary for President William R. Greiner rose from $170,000 in 1997 to $235,000 in 2002. This increase followed a general trend in compensation increase for public university presidents, according to a 2002 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Simpson will ultimately receive an increase in salary after he leaves the University of California Santa Cruz, where he makes $209,000 per year in his position of vice chancellor and campus provost, according to Elizabeth Irwin, associate vice chancellor of communications at Santa Cruz.
Several UB students said they see the president as an important figure whose compensation reflects the prominence of their institution.
Greg Hartman, a sophomore aerospace engineering major, said why he thinks Simpson should receive one of SUNY's larger pay packages.
"UB is the largest school in the SUNY system, so it only makes sense that its president should have the largest paycheck in the system," Hartman said.
"Being responsible for 30,000 people is a huge responsibility," Hartman added. "The pay should reflect that. I like to consider UB among the top public universities of its size in the country, and as such, the president should be rewarded for such a responsibility."
Joy Cronin, a junior international studies major, said she believes UB's presidential compensation should be in line with similar institutions around the country.
"I think that the salary compared to the other SUNY presidents is appropriate," she said.
