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Board of Trustees approves salary increase, $300K bonus for Gee

mitchell.935@osu.edu

Published: Sunday, November 11, 2012

Updated: Sunday, November 11, 2012 18:11

Gee

Andrew Holleran / Photo editor

OSU President E. Gordon Gee in a Sept. 10 interview with The Lantern.

The Board of Trustees has approved a $25,000 salary increase and more than $300,000 bonus for Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee.

During a Friday meeting, the Board approved a 3 percent salary increase that will raise Gee’s base pay to $859,566.

Along with Gee’s annual performance evaluation, he was awarded a $333,812 bonus, 40 percent of his former pay rate.

Gee’s deferred compensation for fiscal year 2013 is $225,000.

Gee is the highest paid public university president in the nation, a title he doesn’t apologize for.

“You know I’m the highest paid university president in the country and I feel it’s a privilege to be a president here and I want to earn that salary every day. I think that I do,” Gee told The Lantern during a Sept. 10 interview in response to a question about his nearly $8 million travel budget.

In fiscal year 2011, Gee earned a nearly $2 million salary.

Gee’s total compensation of $1,992,221 was comprised of a base pay of $814,157, along with $881,278 in deferred compensation and $296,786 of bonus pay, which the university said is not distributed from public funds.

Gee has in the past donated a portion of his salary back to the university, and university spokesman Jim Lynch said in an email that Gee will “continue to allocate funds toward his $1 million scholarship-endowment commitment. Until that endowment is complete, he will continue to fund current Gee Scholars on campus.”

Lynch said Gee plans to establish education funds for his twin granddaughters, who were born earlier this month. 

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8 comments

Anonymous
Wed Nov 14 2012 15:20
Where is the governor? In Gee's back pocket of course.

Gee's bonus is more than I make in one year as an employee of THE Ohio State University.

This man makes me sick. Perhaps if the people of Ohio could elect the OSU president, someone else more fiscally responsible would be in there. Instead we have a Mormon whose bottom line is to outsource as much as he can, offer as few services as possible, charge as much as possible, and make a mint on the misfortune of the rest of us. Seriously people, is Mitt Romney the University president!? You'd think with the way Gee talks, the University was on the verge of financial ruin... every day. Last I checked they had an operating budget of ~$5 billion dollars. That's nowhere near a looming financial disaster...

This man needs to be fired! Only the students who can be buffaloed, and the ultra rich alumni, actually buy into this man's cherade.

Anonymous
Tue Nov 13 2012 14:53
I wish you guys knew how much money he is responsible for fundraising. His salary is well deserved. Now ask yourself... what are you doing for this school?
Anonymous
Tue Nov 13 2012 10:56
As a parent paying the bills, I'm not happy.

Who cares that he is putting money away for his grandchildren. My kids grandparents had to pay for their nursing home with the money they put away for their grandchildren.

nltemple
Tue Nov 13 2012 07:55
Yes anonymous who would pay Gee more while the rest of us scratch our anatomy. Gee is a politician who is in the throws of a divorce suprise where his money is going to go.
Anonymous
Mon Nov 12 2012 09:46
This is so sickening. What are these board members thinking. Why doesn't the governor do something. Is this the example we want to give our students of how to run a business.
Anonymous
Mon Nov 12 2012 05:47
Dr Gee is a dynamic ambassador for not just the university, but for all the people of Ohio who claim to support the Buckeyes. We would be standing around scratching our heads without him. Long live Gordon Gee! Pay him more. I don't believe for a minute that personal wealth is his motivator.
Anonymous
Sun Nov 11 2012 21:03
And OSU has the nerve to ask me for $100???
Anonymous
Sun Nov 11 2012 18:30
Horrific - what is the need for him to make this money




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