John Hitt of UCF Tops Florida's University Presidents Pay List

The presidents of eight of Floridas public universities combined to make more than $4 million in the 2010-2011 school year, according to the journal The Chronicle of Higher Education.

John Hitt, University of Central Florida president, was atop the list at $741,500, which made him the ninth highest paid public school president in the nation, in the journal's analysis of 190 institutions and universities.

The Chronicles report, which combines base pay and compensation, comes as the state Legislature has slashed $300 million from the budget and bank accounts of the states universities.

And starting July 1, Florida will pick open its 12th public university, Florida Polytechnic, breaking from University of South Florida-Polytechnic in Lakeland.

Judy Genshaft, USF president, with $592,400 in compensation, was the second highest public university president from Florida on the national list, landing in 28th place.

On the private school side, Donna Shalala, University of Miami president, andthe secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton, received $1.16 million in 2010-2011. Her pay dipped 1 percent from the prior year.

According to the journal, the median base pay for a university president in the United States was $383,800 in 2011, which was up 1.3 percent from the prior year, while the median overall compensation grew 2.9 percent to $421,395.

Public outcry over presidential pay, which has become a potent political target in these lean economic times, appears to have done little to affect what presidents earn at public research institutions, the journal stated.

At the same time, the median pay for a university professor was $139,500, up 2.2 percent from the prior year.

The eight presidents listed in the report, with overall pay, base pay and bonus pay (if listed) in 2010-2011:

John Hitt, UCF, $741,500 -- $463,500 -- $185,300.

Judy Genshaft, USF, $592,400 -- $395,000 -- $150,000.

Mark Rosenberg, Florida International University, $561,875 -- $486,875.

Eric Barron, Florida State University, $511,945 -- $395,000 -- $100,000.

Bernie Machen, University of Florida, $507,808 -- $507,808.

James Ammons, Florida A&M University, $445,250 -- $325,000 -- $81,250.

Mary Jane Saunders, Florida Atlantic, $381,161 -- $345,000.

Judith Bense, University of West Florida, $277,436 -- $248,573.

Genshaft was also paid $47,400 in deferred compensation, while Ammons received $39,000 in deferred compensation.

Haitt, Rosenberg, Barron, Saunders and Bense each had deferred compensation set aside.