August 23, 2004: Headlines: COS - Peru: University Administration: Lansing State Journal: President Peter McPherson could opt to stick with the university after he leaves office at the end of this year
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Peru:
Special Report: MSU President and Peru RPCV Peter McPherson:
August 23, 2004: Headlines: COS - Peru: University Administration: Lansing State Journal: President Peter McPherson could opt to stick with the university after he leaves office at the end of this year
President Peter McPherson could opt to stick with the university after he leaves office at the end of this year
President Peter McPherson could opt to stick with the university after he leaves office at the end of this year
McPherson has job options at MSU
Departing president could be consultant for up to five years
By Sharon Terlep
Lansing State Journal
EAST LANSING - MSU President Peter McPherson could opt to stick with the university after he leaves office at the end of this year.
McPherson, who this spring announced he's leaving Michigan State University after 11 years, has a provision in his contract that allows him to remain employed there for five years as a consultant on academic or administrative affairs.
That would make McPherson eligible for retirement benefits, which include university and personal contributions to a retirement fund. His salary would be half the average of the five highest-paid deans and directors at the university. Today, that translates to about $130,000.
McPherson, 63, now makes $285,000 a year in salary and deferred compensation.
McPherson, who didn't return phone calls throughout the week, will decide in the next few months what to do. He could opt to take the consulting job immediately after leaving, or he could wait until later to come back. McPherson has yet to announce his plans after leaving MSU but has said he doesn't intend to retire.
Provost Lou Anna Simon is taking over his post Jan. 1.
The Board of Trustees must approve any arrangement.
"We're just looking at what he might propose to do," MSU Trustee Colleen McNamara said. "I want to hear what his ideas are."
Unlike most Big Ten university presidents, McPherson does not have an academic background and is not tenured, which means he does not have a university teaching job to which to return after he leaves office.
McPherson's duties, if he stays, could range from outreach to public service to research.
McPherson is leaving in the midst of two major projects at the university: moving large parts of the College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids and trying to persuade the federal government to build a $1 billion Rare Isotope Accelerator on campus.
The university also is undergoing a $1.2 billion fund-raising campaign.
University spokesman Terry Denbow said it is not clear whether McPherson will continue to have a role on those projects after he steps down.
It's not uncommon for leaders to hold a post after stepping down. Cecil Mackey, who was president from 1979 to 1985, still works at MSU as an economics professor.
Leo Sell, who heads MSU's administrative-professional union, said having a university president stay after his or her term could benefit the university by adding stature and expertise.
"McPherson can continue to be an asset to the university," Sell said.
"There's also an opportunity to having a completely new beginning."
Contact Sharon Terlep at 377-1066 or sterlep@lsj.com.
When this story was prepared, here was the front page of PCOL magazine:
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Lansing State Journal
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Peru; University Administration
PCOL13651
16
.