University foundation to provide portion of his compensation

The Arizona Board of Regents named Michael M. Crow, the executive vice provost of Columbia University, the 16th president of ASU at a meeting Friday morning.

Crow will receive $468,394 in total annual compensation including a state-funded salary of $390,000.

The rest of Crow's compensation package will come from the Arizona State University Foundation. The foundation's money will be used to pay for Crow's moving expenses, life insurance, a home security system and school tuition for his three children, said Regent Fred Boice.

"The foundation can use their money to promote ASU in any way they choose," Boice said. "This time they chose to use it to pay Crow's expenses."

The ASU Foundation is an independent non-profit organization that manages the gifts the university receives and disperses the proceeds throughout the university.

Both University of Arizona President Peter Likins and retiring ASU President Lattie Coor receive nearly $320,000 annually in total compensation.

Likins, whose contract is up for negotiation this summer, has said he will not take a salary increase because of the state's current budget problems. Traditionally, though, UA's and ASU's presidents get nearly identical compensation, Board of Regents spokesman Matt Ortega said last week.

Crow's compensation package will move Arizona to the high end of the range of presidential salaries at peer universities.

Peer university presidential salaries range from around $180,000 at the Oregon universities to about $600,000 at the University of Georgia and the University of Tennessee, Ortega said.

Crow will take office July 1, after Coor retires, and work part time until Sept. 1.

ASU Provost Milton Glick will fill in as president while Crow travels between New York and Arizona for two months.

Crow, 46, also serves as a professor of science and technology policy in the School of International and Public Affairs and has been at Columbia since 1992.

He was approved for the job after Karen Holbrook, the school's other candidate, dropped out of the run last month.

"Dr. Crow is a great organizer and he has great inroads to other sources of money," Boice said.

ASU revealed several expectations for its next president. Crow will be expected to lead the revitalization of the local Tempe economy by attracting high-tech businesses, chart the growth of ASU's three overcrowded campuses and make the university an elite research center like the University of Arizona.

Crow plans to make his core mission at ASU undergraduate education. He would also like to increase financial assistance from the state and look for outside funds as well.

Jeff Sklar contributed to this report.