Bernstine’s salary increases by $50,000

    Portland State President Daniel Bernstine’s salary increased by nearly 30 percent, after the State Board of Higher Education approved pay raises for all public university presidents.

    Bernstine’s salary increased by $50,704 to cap his total salary at the state limit of $221,000. University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer and Oregon State University President Ed Ray also received state-based salary increases to the same state limit, although both receive foundation salaries from their respective schools that nearly double their total salaries.

    Bernstine, who has not received a raise in four years, receives no foundation supplement from Portland State. Oregon University System Director of Communications Di Saunders said the size of the raise increase was determined by a peer comparison at institutions with similar student-body size and faculty.

    Saunders said a similar process was taken when Portland State faculty received a 6 percent pay increase in December. The faculty salary pay increase came after the PSU faculty considered holding a strike early in the 2005-06 academic year because of low pay.

    ”Bernstine is the lowest paid among his peers by at least $25,000″ Saunders said. “Everyone knows that the faculty need more money, but we want to also retain our excellent presidents.”

Bernstine said there is a continuing need to raise faculty salary. He said he was not alone in getting pay raises this year.

    ”The faculty also got raises,” Bernstine said. “It is a challenge to have faculty salaries that are comparative.”

    The national average for full-time faculty pay in 2005 was $89,173, while in Oregon average pay was $76,044, among the lowest in the area surveyed according to the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). PSU faculty are paid among the lowest 10 percent of their peers, according to the American Association of University Professors.

    ”We are not able to retain and attract faculty,” Saunders said. “We are losing out and would like to increase faculty salaries.”

    U of O and OSU are only two of seven Oregon universities that have foundations and therefore receive financial supplements that nearly double the salary allotted by the state. PSU does have the largest student body but has no foundation supplement plan to augment Bernstine’s pay.

    Frohnmayer’s total salary, both state and foundation, increased to $445,433, while Ray’s entire salary increased to $340,008. Frohnmayer’s state-funded salary increased by 30 percent (the same as Bernstine’s), while Ray, who had previously been paid $36,000 more than both, received an 8 percent salary increase.

    A proposal was made to the state legislator for $30 million to increase faculty salaries but only $1 million was received. Saunders said this is recognition from the legislator that OUS needs money, but, while faculty salaries are always huge on the agenda, there is no budget.

    OUS provides all Oregon university presidents with housing and transportation as a benefit of their position.

OUS presidents’ salaries