Recognition and Compensation for Presidential Spouses/Partners
Recognition and Compensation for Presidential Spouses/Partners
Recognition and Compensation for Presidential Spouses/Partners
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COUNCIL OF INDEPENDENT COLLEGES<br />
2012 Presidents Institute<br />
<strong>Recognition</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Compensation</strong> <strong>for</strong><br />
<strong>Presidential</strong> <strong>Spouses</strong>/<strong>Partners</strong><br />
Raymond D. Cotton, JD, M.Sc.<br />
202.434.7322<br />
rcotton@mintz.com<br />
January 6, 2012<br />
701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. | Washington, D.C. 20004 | 202 434-7322 | 202 434-7400 fax
I. Overview<br />
• Background <strong>and</strong> Context<br />
• 2011 CIC <strong>Presidential</strong> <strong>Spouses</strong> Study<br />
• Questions <strong>and</strong> Answers<br />
• Conclusion<br />
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• Administrative Assistant to the President/Chancellor<br />
• Associate of the University<br />
• Associate/Assistant to the President/Chancellor<br />
• First Lady/Gentleman (of the University)<br />
• Mrs. or Mr.<br />
II. Background <strong>and</strong> Context<br />
Popular Titles as Used in Academia<br />
• Senior Advisor <strong>for</strong> Institutional Advancement<br />
• Senior Counselor <strong>for</strong> External Relations<br />
• Special Assistant to the President/Chancellor<br />
• University Representative<br />
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II. Background <strong>and</strong> Context<br />
<strong>Compensation</strong>, <strong>Recognition</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Benefits<br />
• Salary or stipend<br />
• Retirement Benefits<br />
– Insurances<br />
• Health<br />
• Life<br />
• Disability<br />
• Long Term Care<br />
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II. Background <strong>and</strong> Context<br />
<strong>Compensation</strong>, <strong>Recognition</strong>, <strong>and</strong> Benefits (cont.)<br />
• Deferred <strong>Compensation</strong> (including annuities)<br />
• Car Allowance<br />
• Tuition Assistance (<strong>for</strong> self <strong>and</strong> children)<br />
• Travel Reimbursement<br />
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II. Background <strong>and</strong> Context<br />
Board Expectations, Reviews <strong>and</strong> Evaluations<br />
• Responsibilities <strong>and</strong> Obligations<br />
• Timing <strong>and</strong> Frequency of Evaluations<br />
• By whom<br />
• Employment Agreement/Letter of<br />
Appointment<br />
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III. 2011 CIC <strong>Presidential</strong> <strong>Spouses</strong> Study<br />
• In the Fall of 2011, CIC <strong>and</strong> ML Strategies collaborated to<br />
design <strong>and</strong> produce the 2011 CIC <strong>Presidential</strong> <strong>Spouses</strong><br />
Survey.<br />
• The Survey aimed to gather data on the role of the<br />
presidential spouse/partner <strong>and</strong> how the institution<br />
recognizes <strong>and</strong>/or compensates her/him.<br />
• CIC spouses were asked to complete an online<br />
questionnaire through SurveyMonkey.com.<br />
• A total of 97 CIC spouses participated in the Survey.<br />
• 85% were female 15% were male<br />
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• Adjunct Faculty<br />
• Assistant to the President<br />
• Associate<br />
• Associate to the Board of Trustees<br />
• Associate to the President <strong>for</strong> Community, Trustees <strong>and</strong><br />
Parent Relations<br />
• Associate Vice President<br />
• Chief Executive Service Assistant<br />
• Community/University Ambassador<br />
• Community Relations Representative<br />
• Dean of Admission<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Titles<br />
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• Director of the Office of Special Services<br />
• Director of Special Initiatives<br />
• First Lady/Spouse<br />
• Mrs./Mr.<br />
• No title<br />
• <strong>Presidential</strong> Spouse/Husb<strong>and</strong><br />
• Professor<br />
• Senior Development Officer<br />
• Servant Leadership Director<br />
III. CIC Responses:<br />
Titles (cont.)<br />
• Special Assistant to the President<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Employee Status <strong>and</strong> Percentage of Time<br />
• 66% of reporting spouses are considered employees of<br />
the institution. 34% of reporting spouses are not<br />
considered employees.<br />
• However, all of the spouses devote some part of their<br />
time to activities related to being the presidential<br />
spouse/partner, with the majority spending 25-50% of<br />
their time on such activities.<br />
• Most spouses commented that most of these activities<br />
included attending or hosting institution-related<br />
events.<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Does the institution employ an event planner<br />
with whom you work on presidential events<br />
• Yes, part time: 19%<br />
• Yes, full time: 35%<br />
• No: 46%<br />
• In a recent similar Study we conducted on the<br />
spouses of many of the large, public l<strong>and</strong>-grant<br />
institutions, all of the spouses received event<br />
planners.<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Does the Board have specific expectations of<br />
you as a presidential spouse/partner<br />
• Yes, stated in writing: 14%<br />
• Yes, not stated in writing: 46%<br />
• No: 40%<br />
• The majority of spouses commented that expectations<br />
included traveling with the president <strong>and</strong> attending<br />
presidential events.<br />
• Some spouses noted that they have a job description,<br />
but only one spouse noted that she/he has an<br />
employment contract with the institution.<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Did you (<strong>and</strong>/or your spouse) have a discussion with the<br />
Board regarding your role with the college prior to beginning<br />
• Yes: 41%<br />
• No: 59%<br />
your service<br />
• An overwhelming majority commented that there was no<br />
<strong>for</strong>mal discussion.<br />
• In fact, many comments revealed that the Board<br />
assumed the president <strong>and</strong> the spouse “came as a<br />
package,” or “were two <strong>for</strong> the price of one.”<br />
• In the majority of responses, if there was a discussion, it<br />
was brief <strong>and</strong> in<strong>for</strong>mal.<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Do you receive any of the following support<br />
• Yard work: 75%<br />
• Secretarial assistance: 27%<br />
• Maid: 60%<br />
• Cook: 19%<br />
• Childcare: 7%<br />
• Driver: 3%<br />
services<br />
• Many of the spouses receive these benefits, but only <strong>for</strong><br />
presidential events (i.e. catering/cooking <strong>for</strong> College<br />
event).<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Do you receive a salary or stipend <strong>for</strong> you work as a<br />
presidential spouse/partner<br />
• No: 77%<br />
• Yes: 23%<br />
• Of those that received a salary or stipend, exluding<br />
symbolic numbers…<br />
– The range was $6,000 to $55,000 annually<br />
– The median was $20,000 annually<br />
– The average was $23,179 annually<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Other benefits provided<br />
• Travel expenses: provided <strong>for</strong> 83%<br />
– For those that do receive it this benefit, most<br />
receive reimbursement <strong>for</strong> travel, meals <strong>and</strong><br />
lodging<br />
• Separate retirement plan: provided <strong>for</strong> 21%<br />
– Most that do receive this benefit are employees<br />
• Tuition remission <strong>for</strong> children: provided <strong>for</strong> 91%<br />
– Of those that receive this benefit, almost all<br />
receive full tuition remission<br />
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• Tuition remission <strong>for</strong> spouse: provided <strong>for</strong> 63%<br />
– Of those that receive this benefit, most receive full<br />
tuition remission<br />
– There was a very low response rate <strong>for</strong> this question,<br />
<strong>and</strong> comments revealed that many spouses are unsure<br />
if they receive this benefit<br />
• Housing allowance: Provided <strong>for</strong> 18%<br />
– The median was $9,600 annually<br />
• House (if no housing allowance): Provided <strong>for</strong> 80%<br />
– The majority of spouses do not know the annual rental<br />
value<br />
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III. CIC Responses:<br />
Other benefits provided (cont.)<br />
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IV. Questions <strong>and</strong> Answers<br />
• All questions are encouraged <strong>and</strong> welcome!<br />
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Ray is Vice President of Higher Education <strong>for</strong> ML Strategies, LLC <strong>and</strong> a partner in the<br />
Mintz Levin law firm. He primarily represents higher education <strong>and</strong> other nonprofit entities.<br />
His clients include schools, colleges, universities, foundations <strong>and</strong> other nonprofits. He<br />
has represented over 250 university boards of trustees, presidents <strong>and</strong> nonprofit CEO’s<br />
during his more than twenty-five years in practice. He frequently counsels both boards of<br />
trustees <strong>and</strong> presidents on such matters as CEO compensation, per<strong>for</strong>mance evaluation,<br />
goal-setting, direct <strong>and</strong> deferred compensation, Intermediate Sanctions, Sarbanes-Oxley<br />
<strong>and</strong> best practices <strong>for</strong> managing non-profit institutions.<br />
Raymond D. Cotton, JD, M.Sc<br />
Ray is a frequent speaker on the programs of Higher Education Associations, as well as a regular contributor to the<br />
Chronicle of Higher Education. His legal work <strong>and</strong> compensation analyses have gotten him recognition in many national<br />
publications, including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal <strong>and</strong> The Washington Post. Earlier in his career<br />
Ray served in the public sector as Special Assistant to the U.S. Department of Health, Education <strong>and</strong> Welfare under<br />
Secretaries Elliot Richardson <strong>and</strong> Caspar Weinberger.<br />
He has also served as an adjunct faculty member at both the School of Law <strong>and</strong> the School of Medicine at George<br />
Washington University, as well as at the Georgetown University Medical School, <strong>and</strong> the Harvard University School of<br />
Public Health. In addition, he has lectured at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill), UCLA, Yale <strong>and</strong> many<br />
others. From 1991-1995, he served on the Board of Trustees of Monmouth University.<br />
Ray is admitted to legal practice in the District of Columbia, <strong>and</strong> to the U.S. Tax Court <strong>and</strong> the U.S. Supreme Court. He<br />
is a member of the American Bar Association. Ray received his BA with highest honors from Monmouth University,<br />
where he graduated first in his class. He is the first person in the history of Harvard University to have earned degrees<br />
from both its Law School (JD) <strong>and</strong> its graduate School of Public Health (M.Sc.).<br />
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