During the 2010 academic year, before the PCAR process began in October 2009, top administrators received pay rises approved by the finance committee of the Board of Trustees.

When Sidney A. Ribeau became president in 2008, his gross pay was $239, 704 with a base salary of 207, 498.  Last year’s gross salary: $608, 049. The new salary figure of more than $700 thousand becomes complete after tacking on nontaxable benefits of $100 thousand dollars, including a  $95,000 house paid by the university (as a traditional custom).

While current university president’s wages soared, his predecessor’s plunged.  H.P Swygert, president emeritus who currently teaches at the law school, received $2, 300,880 in the 2008 to 2009 academic year, as reported in the Hilltop previously. A lion-share of the million dollar compensation was the disbursement of deferred payment –$1, 730, 363, to be exact – from a plan Swygert started in 1999.

Eleven of the top 18 highest paid employees at the university, including the hospital, are administrators with offices in the Mordecai Johnson Administration Building – or in the case of several had offices in the administration building.

The trio of former administrators consists of: Virgil Ecton, retired vice president of university advancement, Olivier McGee, an ex-chief academic officer, and Richard A. English, a former research and compliance administrator.

Notably, current Provost James Wyche’s compensation does not appear on the IRS 990 form posted on the financial section of the university’s website. Wyche joined the university in February 2010, thus he was not included in the IRS reporting for the 2009 to 2010 academic year.

The take-home pay of all employees was calculated without deferred payment, since employees will not receive it until later – after accrues interest. For example, the university provides President Ribeau with a $70,000 deferred payment plan which accrues six percent interest annually. Inclusion of the deferred payment without taking into account the interest earned over the years overestimates the take-home pay of administrators for the year that IRS form was field. Furthermore, “nontaxable benefits” and incentive compensation often make up for the loss of deferred compensation.

Titles of HU & HUH Employees

Edward Cornwell, III,  HUH Surgeon in-Chief

President Ribeau, HU president

Donald E. Wilson, VP for Health Services – School of Medicine

Clairmont Griffith , Assistant Prof, Anesthesiology – School of Medicine

Larry Warren, CEO OF HUH

Wayne Frederick, director HU Cancer Center & division chief of HUH

Oscar Streeter , chair of Radiation Oncology Department and professor  ‘09

Andre Duerinckx , chair of Radiology Department

Sidney H. Evans, Senior Vice President and CFO

H.P. Swygert, president emeritus and law professor –

Virgil Ecton, former VP of University Advancement

Richard A. English, former provost and chief academic officer

Hassan Minor, Senior Vice President Strategic Planning, Operations & External Affairs & Chief Technology Officer

Norma Leftwitch, General Counselor  (Interesting fact: university’s first female GC who was appointed in 1995)

Florence B. Bonner, VP of Research and Compliance

Artis Hampshire-Cowan,  Senior Vice President and Secretary

Oliver McGee, former VP of Research and Compliance

Alvin Thornton, chair of PCAR commission

Side-note: Thanks to Mother Jones for the inspiration. My informative chalkboard run-down was a modest attempt at MoJo‘s more expansive work – 11 infographics and charts in two pages! – in the this month’s issue and online. The topic of such many infographics: America’s little-spoken of crisis, the widening income equality between “plutocrats” and everyday people.

UPDATED:  @7:36 pm EST (17 Avril 2011) $2, 300,880 is the figure previously reported, not $2, 290,646.  It’s amazing how that still didn’t affect that 82 percent drop. A “golden parachute” is still a “parachute” – with a $10,234 deflation flub taken into consideration as well.

@ 4:27 pm EST (25 Avril 2011) Middle section changed to its initial title (“Gross Income + Perks”). Calculations are not affected. President Sidney A. Ribeau’s FY 2009 salary was for four months worth of compensation, thus rendering the percentage change (last section) comparing last year into an “apple-orange” comparison. A more accurate comparison for President Ribeau alone is forthcoming.