The Chancellor at this University Makes about 18.5 Times what an Average Employee at this Same University Makes… 

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

According to MassOpenBooks, the average annual pay for UMass Medical School Employees is $57,746. But as highlighted in the chart below, Medical School Chancellor Michael Collins makes $1,069,752.  According to USA Today, the income that qualifies a Massachusetts resident to be included in the top 1% is $582,774. 

When looking at MassOpenBooks 2018 Highest Paid Employees under Higher Education, four out of the six highest-paid employees earning more than $582,774 annually are all from UMass Medical School.

TITLE NAME BASE PAY OTHER PAY TOTAL PAY
Chancellor and SVP Health Services Michael Collins $742,777 $326,975 $1,069,752
Executive Deputy Chancellor Provost and Dean Terence Flotte $722,495 $224,042 $946,537
Executive VP Innovation and Bus Development  James Glasheen  $477,327 $193,941 $671,268
Executive Vice Chancellor, UMBC Mark Klempner  $512,956 $127,307 $640,263
$2,455,555 $872,265 $3,327,820

SOURCE: MassOpenBooks

A public records request submitted three weeks ago regarding what other pay is for all four of these employees has not been answered. 

This isn’t just happening at the medical school campus in Worcester. US News states that in fall 2017, there were 1,626 public colleges and 1,687 private colleges, for a total of 3,313. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, employees at 61 private college executives and 12 public college executives made $1 million or more from 2016-2017, less than 2 percent of the more than 3,000 schools.  

 According to a MarketWatch entitled A Dozen Public-College Presidents are Paid Over $1 Million, but do Taxpayers See the Benefit? “There’s no evidence that paying a public-school president more results in increased revenue for the school either in the form of a boost in state appropriations to the college or a jump in dollars raised from private sources…” 

Could the funds be better spent on education and instruction? 

US News ranks UMass Worcester as 15th best medical school in primary care and 45th best in research. That ranking makes UMass Worcester as the best primary care school in New England, but is it the high salary of the chancellor that got them there?  Statistics from UMass School of Medicine’s class of 2022 profile reported that out of a class of 162 students, only 24, or 15%, were economically and/or educationally disadvantaged. 

Here’s an idea: Why not slow down the growth rate of top salaries and instead spend more on financial aid so more low-income students get a shot at such a rewarding profession?

Paige Anderson is a Government Transparency Intern at The Pioneer Institute. She is a rising senior at Wellesley College majoring in Economics.

Get our higher education updates!

Read more of Pioneer’s related research & commentary:

Sunshine Week 2024

Partly Sunny with a Chance of Transparency As Pioneer Institute…

The Necessity of Transparent Tax Revenue Reporting: MA Provides a Shining Example

Revenue collections, predicted revenue, and expenditures are among the most important data points states report. Without accurate predictions and regular reporting, the legislature and governor's office may go over or under budget, potentially leaving citizens and policymakers in the dark about the fiscal health of the state. For this reason, all states regularly report those numbers and update estimates based on trends, overall economic conditions, and expected changes as a result of new state policies. However, even among the New England states, the transparency and accessibility of such reporting varies greatly and, as a result, limits analysts’ ability to meaningfully compare state revenues and judge performance in real time.

Studying the Humanities in the 2020s

At a time of tumultuous and sometimes vitriolic debates on American campuses, here are seven guiding principles to help college student thinking about studying history or any other humanities subject.

Changes to the Confounding Massachusetts Estate Tax

Policymakers on Beacon Hill have many visions of tax relief for this fiscal year, and all of them include changing the estate taxes. What are those changes, and what would their impact be?

University Presidents Salary Comparison, Pt. 2

See how Massachusetts state schools' presidential salaries match up. Presidents with schools who have less than a 1,000 student enrollment are near the top of the list.

An Examination of the Commonwealth Rainy Day Fund

Established in 1987, the Commonwealth Stabilization Fund has been a key component of the financial stability of Massachusetts. As of recently, it's seen spectacular growth. Why?

University Presidents Salary Comparison, Pt. 1

See how much each president of a New England public university makes.

The Curious Case of the Missing Stabilization Funds

Stabilization funds are a key component of a municipality's financial strength, yet many towns (including Boston!) report no stabilization funds. Why is this?

The Confounding Massachusetts Estate Tax

The estate tax has become an increasingly significant source of revenue for the Bay State in recent years. Why is this: and is it a good thing?

Supreme Debt Consideration: Will Biden’s Student Debt Cancellation Get Passing Grade?

/
Joe Selvaggi talks with constitutional scholar Ilya Somin about the merits and likely success of the two Supreme Court cases Nebraska v. Biden and Department of Education v. Brown, which challenge the President’s constitutional right to cancel more than $400 billion in student debt.

Pioneer Commends MA Governor-elect Healey’s Step Toward Greater Transparency

Pioneer Institute commends Governor-elect Maura Healey for choosing not to claim a public records exemption for the governor’s office. Governor-elect Healey also pledged to support legislation that would curb exemptions claimed by the legislative and judiciary branches of state government.

Gargantuan Graduation Gift: Biden Writes Check From Taxpayers To College Grads

This week on Hubwonk, host Joe Selvaggi talks with Dr. Beth Akers, AEI Senior Fellow, about the recent presidential executive order to cancel an estimated $500 billion in outstanding student debt. They explore who benefits, who pays, and the likely effects on tuition and the borrowing habits of future students.

Massachusetts Needs a Comprehensive Performance Management Framework

/
Many states have made promoted government efficiency and effectiveness by setting goals and tracking their progress. Massachusetts tried making a performance structure, but in 2014 it was discontinued. Today, the state lacks a comprehensive structure to track progress.

School-Age Population Remains Steady, but Boston Struggles With Declining Enrollment

/
Hopefully, new leadership will ensure that the system makes the changes necessary to improve public education in Boston. Otherwise, enrollment declines will continue. 

Is a Universal Basic Income the Future? You Decide.

/
With a rising cost of living, higher inflation, and an economy that generates fierce debates about inequality and poverty, many have called for systemic reforms and even more radical changes, including a universal basic income. What is UBI? How does it work? What do researchers think?

Massachusetts Remains One of the Least Financially Transparent States

/
In 48 states, elected officials are required to submit annual public financial disclosures. After seven years of tracking these disclosures state by state, Pioneer Institute ranks Massachusetts lowest in terms of the transparency of those financial disclosures. 

Where Are Massachusetts Residents Moving To?

/
A blog published earlier this month by Pioneer shined a light on Massachusetts’ growing dilemma: More people are leaving the state than coming here. According to Pioneer’s Massachusetts IRA Data Discovery website, Middlesex and Suffolk counties are losing the most residents.

What’s going on with the economy in Cambridge?

/
Dubbed the city of squares, Cambridge, a leading innovation center,…