Rudenstine's Salary Below College Median

Neil L. Rudenstine earned about $290,000 as president of Harvard during the '97-'98 academic year, a figure nearly $100,000 less than the median salary of comparable university presidents, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported this week.

Rudenstine's published salary, which does not include the house the University provides for him, was barely half that of the president of the University of Pennsylvania, Judith Rodin, who earned almost $530,000 in annual pay alone.

When benefits such as health insurance are added in, Rudenstine received $320,000.

"As a group, the Ivy League tends to be well represented among the highest-paid presidents," said Stephen Burd, the Chronicle reporter who covered the story. "In the case of Harvard University, prestige may be more important than pay."

In an interview several weeks ago,

Rudenstine said he did not support Harvard's involvement in a push at other universities to bolster salaries of top officials.

"I just don't believe people in my position should be paid four or five hundred thousand dollars," Rudenstine said.

Indeed, while some presidents saw increases in their salaries up to 25 percent during the span of one academic year, Rudenstine's salary has increased an average of 1.05 percent each year since 1993.

Rudenstine's earnings are determined by the Harvard Corporation, the University's top governing board.

The Corporation surveys the salaries of high officials of other universities but does not tie Rudenstine's earnings to those figures.

The Chronicle found that the nation's highest paid college president during the '97-'98 year, Howard J. Burnett of Washington and Jefferson College, received $1,052,673, which included a bonus when Burnett retired at the end of the year.

Rodin, who has other duties at the University of Pennsylvania besides the presidency, received the second-highest compensation package.

"This year was our most lucrative year since we started looking at the salaries during the '91-'92 year," Burd said. "We saw more presidents making over $400,000 and $500,000."

During the '97-'98 academic year, eight presidents received annual salaries over $500,000 and 13 received over $400,000.

Sixty-one presidents received over $300,000.

During the '93-'94 school year, only two presidents received over $500,000, four over $400,000 and 19 over $300,000.

The trend is worrying higher education policy specialists, who said that the salaries for professors haven't seen similar increases.

"The growing salaries of university presidents seem to be excessive," said Ernst Benjamin, director of research for the American Association of University Professors. "It seems to reflect what is going on in corporations, and, while universities do have similar responsibilities, they are also a charity organization."

Dean of the College Harry R. Lewis '68 noted that Rudenstine's salary is below many young executives' and scientists'.

"I don't know how you evaluate the numerical worth of what the President does, but it's hard for me not to think that President Rudenstine, with his enormous experience, is a bargain for Harvard at $290,000," Lewis wrote in an e-mail message.