UW's Emmert gets another raise: $150,000

University of Washington President Mark Emmert received a raise of more than $150,000 Thursday, putting his total annual compensation at $905,000.

The raise comes three days after the publication of an annual survey by The Chronicle of Higher Education ranking Emmert as the third-highest-paid leader of a public college, according to the most recent figures available. Atop that survey was David Roselle, of the University of Delaware, who received nearly $875,000. Roselle retired earlier this year.

Emmert's raise comes on top of a $100,000 raise last year.

His new compensation, retroactive to September, comes in the form of a base salary of $620,000 (up by $101,300), deferred compensation of $250,000 (up by $50,000), a retirement match of $23,000 (up $500), and a car allowance of $12,000. Emmert's first installment of deferred compensation becomes available to him in 2009, with further installments on a rolling three-year basis.

Emmert also receives free accommodation at the UW's 12,000-square-foot presidential mansion, which comes equipped with 11 bathrooms and a functioning pipe organ.

UW Regent Fred Kiga, one of two regents charged with determining the new salary, said the regents believe Emmert is among the top university presidents — public or private — in the country. He said a salary increase was necessary in a competitive environment.

"It's an arms race; it really is," Kiga said. "Much like college coaches, university presidents are now considered highly in demand."

Kiga said Emmert was given a stellar performance review during the summer and had been successful in helping attract big grants and top talent to bold new initiatives, such as the underwater Neptune project and the new Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Emmert's new compensation is based on what other university presidents get, Kiga said. Included in the calculations were new Washington State University President Elson Floyd, who will earn at least $650,000 by his second year, and new Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee.

Kiga said his information is that Gee, whose full compensation has not yet been made public, will become the first public university president to earn more than $1 million. The top-paid private university president on The Chronicle's list was Richard Freeland, who earned nearly $2.9 million before stepping down from the helm of Northeastern University in August 2006.

Kiga said that while Emmert received other job offers last year, he's not aware of any specific approaches this year.

"I'm sure he has some detractors, but from our perspective, he's done an outstanding job," Kiga said.

Nick Perry: 206-515-5639 or nperry@seattletimes.com