The salaries of University of Wisconsin leaders may not be
enough to draw new chancellors for the three UW schools currently in the search
process, according to UW System officials.

?Right now, there?s a lack of competitive salaries,? UW
System spokesperson Dave Giroux said.

Each university is placed in a specific ?peer group? that is
comparable to other schools in the group. These schools have similar degree
programs, and often are alike in prestige. For example, comprehensive
universities, which only offer bachelor?s and master?s degrees, are grouped
together, while doctoral universities are placed in separate groups.

Each individual salary is set by the Board of Regents and must
fall within a previously established range of salaries determined by the
specific peer level of the university in question.

At UW-Madison, the salary is then met by combining both
public and private funds. Overall, it has been a general trend for UW faculty
to earn less than their counterparts at other universities.

?Professors at UW-Madison, UW-Parkside or UW-Whitewater, on
average, make less than their peers at other main universities,? Giroux said.
?The same is true with the executive positions.?

For example, while UW-Parkside Chancellor John Keating makes $197,000, the average chancellor in his
peer group makes about $217,000. Chancellor John Wiley of UW-Madison makes $341,495 a year, while Purdue University?s top executive, Martin
Jischke, made $880,950 annually before stepping down in 2007.

The concern is whether or not UW
schools offer salaries that are competitive enough to draw well-qualified
applicants to fill the chancellor vacancies.

?The discussion has now shifted to
whether or not we have the resources and flexibility to go after the best
talent in higher education to lead this campus and the other two campuses,?
Giroux said. ?We need to come to grips with a very serious and growing
challenge with recruiting and retaining the best talent ? whether that?s in the
classroom, the laboratory, or the chancellor?s office.?

Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison,
believes the salary offered by the university will play an important role in
the chancellor search, but that it should not be anyone?s main concern.

?I think, as we are looking for a
new chancellor, it is important that we reevaluate how much we offer,? Black
said. ?However, we don?t want a chancellor whose main concern is his
compensation.?

Giroux believes that the
university is willing to offer more money, but it does not have the flexibility
to do so.

?It?s not a matter of willingness,
it?s a matter of constraint,? Giroux said. ?We are constrained in the amount of
money we can offer people by state statute.?

Former Board of Regents President
David Walsh said he agrees salary will play a role in the interest shown for
the position, but added UW-Madison has many other things to offer that will
draw candidates in.

?We have a great institution,?
Walsh said. ?[UW-Madison] is prestigious, is popular with students and is a
leading university in merit-based research. We shouldn?t discount all the great
things about this school.?