Worn Paths in King Lear

Stripling, J, Fuller, A. (2011). Pay gap widens between presidents and faculty. Chronicle

Of Higher Education 58(16) 1-6. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier,

Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 22, 2012.

Private college presidents are making considerably more than professors on their campuses - some as much as 10 times more. Among those making the highest are Ivy League schools as well as many smaller institutions of little or no renown such as Mountain State University. The president of Mountain State University ranks sixth among presidents. Presidential salary at Mountain State is 3.5 percent of the entire school budget.

Many of these schools with high paying presidential positions are struggling to keep enrollment as well as accreditation with the Higher Learning Commissions. It should also be considered that some of these high amounts are from one time payouts from retirement packages.

At the other end of the spectrum is the President of Wabash College, a private men's college in Indiana. His salary is barely two times that of the average full professor at the college. It is the belief of Wabash that the faculty is "rewarded for providing students personal attention" (p. 4).

This article analyzed 519 college presidents whose college budgets are over $50 million. The median salary and compensation was over $385,000 in 2009. College budgets are being compromised by a cut in donations and endowments, meanwhile tuition is being raised and presidential compensations are increasing over 2.2 percent.

It was the finding of The Chronicle that presidents are generally pleased and proud of their salaries and compensations that include first class travel, housing allowances, club dues, and travel. President's compensations were compared by one university official to that of a professional athlete citing that their chief executive has passed up a higher paying career in corporate America and have made significant contributions to the regions and communities that are far greater reaching.