Regents Defend Fundraiser Pay for UI President's Spouse

Regents Statement:

STATEMENT BY IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS PRESIDENT CRAIG LANG
RE: Ken Mason’s compensation

While I will not comment on contractual arrangements made during the presidential hiring process that pre-dates my term as Board President, it is not uncommon for informal discussions of this nature to take place during the presidential hiring process.

Ken Mason plays an important role in helping the University of Iowa President Sally Mason in promoting and raising money for the university. As a spouse, Ken’s daily schedule, including teaching, is very demanding as he is expected to attend almost every event on campus with President Mason. He attends most, if not all athletic events, including networking, and entertaining donors and alumni at hundreds of other university events throughout the year. Ken is an invaluable partner to President Sally Mason and the university community, helping to raise over $800 million dollars for the university since their arrival in 2007.

Compensation for spouses of presidents is not new. In fact, the University of Iowa is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group of 63 large research universities that estimates as many as half of its members now pay the spouses of presidents. In fact, the AAU adopted guidelines in 2001 urging governing boards to recognize a partner’s role when they recruited presidents, and to consider offering spouses “a titled position with a job
description, salary and/or benefits.”

The AAU recommendations were made because they recognize that being a spouse is effectively a full-time job, and one that requires their attention, commitment, and presence – 24-hours a day, 7 days a week.