At $290,643 last year, President Shirley Raines' compensation was among the lowest in The University's peer group, according to figures released by The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The average presidential salary was $503,071 in 2006-07 among 11 colleges similar to The U of M that are considered "funding peers" by the administration. The U of M administration uses those schools - such as The University of Arkansas and Texas Tech University - as comparisons when examining University expenses and revenues.
Within the peer group, Georgia State University had the highest presidential pay at $701,524, and The University of Arkansas at Fayetteville had the lowest at $281,132.
The highest paid university president at a four-public institution nationwide was David Roselle of The University of Delaware who made $874,687 in 2005-06. The University of Delaware declined to release pay information for 2006-07, so the amount was taken from 2006 tax records, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.
These amounts include presidential perks, annual bonuses and benefits such as housing and automobile allowances. But if the president is living in a home owned by the university or driving a university-owned vehicle, those expenses are not included in the total. Expense account usage is also omitted from the total.
At The U of M, Raines is given use of a University-owned house, vehicle and expense account in addition to her salary.
According to Jim Hellums, assistant vice president in charge of the Physical Plant, the president's house does a lot of work for The University.
"Most people think of the president's house as a perk, but in my opinion, it's not," Hellums said, explaining that dinners, faculty meetings and parties for University guests necessitate the space.
"They have to have all these functions over there. What first sounds like a great thing - you get this house and a pool - but 90 percent of that is for entertainment over there," he said.
Hellums said because it is used for University business, the state pays for utilities, maintenance and other expenses at the house.
In 2003, University of Tennessee President John Shumaker came under fire after using university money to purchase a $14,000 entertainment center, a $7,000 Persian rug and a $4,800 grill for the presidential house. In 2006, another University of Tennessee administrator, health science Chancellor Bill Owen, was criticized for spending more than $28,000 of taxpayer dollars for upgrades to his Memphis residence, including a $4,500 plasma TV, $11,854 in shelving, lighting and wiring and a $4,500 interior decorator consultation.
Following those events, expenses on college's presidential houses were more closely monitored, and according to Hellums, expenses at The U of M's presidential house are modest.
"To the best of my knowledge, in 30 years, we've never bought a television over there," Hellums said.
Hellums said Raines has done other things to keep the costs reasonable.
"She has been the most limiting president we've ever had, as far as requesting needs for the facility," Hellums said. "It comes with a custodian, and when she came in, the first thing she did was cut the custodian down to half time."
According to Hellums, major expenses on the house, which is located a block east of campus on Grandview, are usually maintenance oriented and are made when a president changes office. They replaced the roof and repaired the driveway at the house before Raines arrived, he said.
Raines also has use of a University-owned vehicle and expense account, but Human Resources was unable to provide details on those Wednesday afternoon.
