Harker's pay might take hit at Delaware

University of Delaware President David Roselle may have made close to $1 million last year, but that alone may not be enough to convince Wharton School Dean Patrick Harker to be Roselle's successor.

According to last week's Chronicle of Higher Education report, Roselle earned $979,571 including benefits for the 2004-05 academic year - and his base compensation of $729,054 was the highest of any president in public higher education.

But even that salary would likely not be the deciding factor for Harker, whose is being considered to succeed Roselle but has not been offered the job, because Harker probably makes more money now.

Harker, who has been on the Wharton faculty for over 20 years, has previously refused to comment about his potential departure. He visited the Delaware campus two weeks ago to meet with administrators.

Unlike those of many University officials, Harker's salary is not public and thus not revealed in Penn tax forms, according to MaryAnn Piccolo, associate comptroller for the University.

But business school deans typically make money through outside consulting over and above their salaries as academics, said Raymond Cotton of the Washington-based Mintz law firm.

"When you add his Penn salary to his consulting, I would imagine he'd be taking a pay-cut to be doing this job" as Delaware's president, said Cotton, who specializes in university presidents' compensation.

Roselle's salary has also risen substantially, and a new Delaware president wouldn't necessarily start out at his predecessor's level of pay. In the 2003-04 academic year, Roselle earned $720,522.

Roselle also said in an e-mail that his compensation for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years will increase as he collects money set aside for his retirement.

Harker might take factors other than salary into account, though.

One "may be willing to take a smaller salary to assume a presidency," said Martin Snyder, spokesman for the American Association of University Professors. "There is a big difference in prestige if someone is on a career path and looking to advance."

Roland King, spokesman for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, agreed that monetary concerns generally wouldn't drive someone like Harker to make the jump from dean to president.

But Cotton also said that while a presidency may be more attractive than a deanship, most administrators prefer to move from public universities to private ones, drawn by many "fewer political constraints."

He added university deans are generally not tapped for presidential positions and that Harker's salary, were he to be offered and accept the job at Delaware, would not necessarily compare to what Roselle currently receives.

"It would be hard to justify a large number [for] someone who has never been a provost, much less a president," Cotton said.

He said, however, that business school deans can be the exception.

Wharton spokesman Michael Baltes would not comment as to what, if anything, the University was doing to retain Harker.

He did say, however that "if Dean Harker were to leave, his successor would be appointed through a process led by University President Amy Gutmann."

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