Board of Trustees voted for a raise and bonus for President McDavis.
Tuition for nine in-state students to attend Ohio University for one year, minus fees, would approximately equal the combined raise and bonus granted to OU President Roderick McDavis at Thursday’s Board of Trustee’s meeting.
McDavis’ salary now totals $480,000, compared to the $465,000 he made during the last academic year, not including benefits.
During the meeting at OU’s Dublin campus — which is just under a two hour drive from Athens — the board approved a $15,000 raise for McDavis as well as a $90,000 bonus.
McDavis and his wife, Deborah, both saw a 3.2 percent raise. Her salary increased by $1,150, leaving her annual salary at $36,150.
The new salaries retroactively effective July 1.
Last year, McDavis received a 7.8 percent base pay increase, while he only saw a 2.9 percent increase in 2013.
At June’s Board of Trustees meeting, the board reappointed McDavis for the 2015-16 academic year. During the annual review of the president back in June, the board expressed its satisfaction with McDavis.
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“As we stated during the board meeting on June 27, 2015, the trustees unanimously agreed that you have done an outstanding job this past year,” board chair Sandra Anderson said Thursday when reading a memo aloud to McDavis. “The board continues to highly regard and deeply appreciate the work and results delivered by your senior leadership team. We believe you are leading the university in the right direction with strategic vision, boldness, energy and passion.”
Praise not only came from long-standing board members, but also from student trustees, who have been present for executive sessions and discussions relating to board activities.
“I feel that President McDavis has worked tirelessly for the university,” Student Trustee Sharmaine Wilcox said in an email. “Last year his salary was increased by a much greater amount, in reflection of his hard work with the Promise Lives Campaign, and his continued strides on many of the university priorities.”
The board also discussed the revised budget for the 2016 fiscal year during Thursday’s meeting.
In June, the board passed OU’s budget for this fiscal year, though the budget was revised after Ohio Gov. John Kasich signed the state budget June 30, which effectively froze tuition for two years at the state’s universities.
The future of 29 Park Place, the on-campus home where McDavis previously resided up until February, was also discussed during the executive session; however, the meeting offered up no new information.
Stephen Golding, vice president for OU finance and administration, said he is looking into how other universities are dealing with their presidential housing.
The former McDavis residence is a part of the Campus Master Plan, which will be discussed Friday among board members.
The Board of Trustees also discussed the university’s sexual misconduct policies following a presentation from Inya Baiye, director of the Office of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, and Jenny Hall-Jones, Dean of Students and Interim Vice President for Student Affairs.
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“The national attention is generally on rape or sexual assault, but most of the complaints we receive are sexual harassment situations,” Baiye said.
The Ohio University Police Department reported 18 criminal sex offenses and faculty and staff had six complaints regarding sexual harassment in the 2014-15 academic year. Also, 14 students reported sexual harassment by “hostile environment” and five students reported non-consensual sexual intercourse.
“It’s very important to have the right policies in place, but it seems to me the training is where it makes the difference,” Anderson said.
Additionally, the board approved a series of resolutions Thursday, including one that would officially drop “Schoonover” from the formerly-named Barbara Geralds Schoonover Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact. The board also passed a resolution that approved the project and design budgets for more construction on South Green residential housing.
The next Board of Trustees meeting will take place Oct. 15 and 16 at OU’s main campus.
-Alex Meyer contributed to this report
@megankhenry
