For the second year in a row, presidents in the state’s public university system did not get raises.
The Georgia Board of Regents met earlier this week to approve the salaries, deferred compensation and allowances for all 26 presidents, which take effect July 1. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution received the total compensations Friday through the Georgia Open Records Act.
The presidents at Georgia’s four research institutions— Augusta University, Georgia Tech, Georgia State and the University of Georgia — continue to top the list, all near or above total compensations of $1 million. Augusta University President Brooks Keel topped the list at nearly $1.2 million. Nearly all of the other presidents in the system will make between $200,000 to $300,000.
A few University System of Georgia presidents, like Georgia State’s Mark Becker, are leaving in the coming months and their replacements will negotiate their own salaries and compensation. System officials said Keel received the only increase, made to his deferred compensation. Keel did not have deferred compensation in 2019, the last year University System presidents received raises.
System leaders decided in May 2020 not to increase the compensations of the presidents as they worked on a plan to make state-mandated budget cuts. The cuts were ordered due to revenue declines caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Board of Regents voted last month not to raise student tuition and fees because of the pandemic’s ongoing impact on many students and their families.
Here is the breakdown of the five presidents with the highest compensation packages:
President, University - Base Pay; Allowance; Deferred Compensation; Total
1. Brooks Keel, Augusta University - $856,000.66; $43,300; $300,000; $1,199,300.66
2. Mark Becker, Georgia State - $594,102.90; $34,900; $500,000; $1,129,002.90
3. Ángel Cabrera, Georgia Tech - $631,700; $43,300; $300,000; $975,000
4. Jere Morehead, University of Georgia - $662,755.35; $23,900; $225,074.22; $911,729.57
5. Kathy Schwaig,* Kennesaw State - $412,500; $41,200; $0; $453,700
* Schwaig becomes interim president on July 1.
Source: University System of Georgia
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