PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University Board of Regents today approved a 7 percent salary increase for President Samuel Smith in recognition of his leadership of WSU’s statewide growth.
The increase brings Smith’s base salary to $155,150 a year, effective July 1. The president’s additional $70,000 annual retention package in private funding from the WSU Foundation was unchanged.
Board President Carmen Otero said the action recognizes the demands of the presidency and Smith’s accomplishments. She said the changes in society demand that higher education change to meet the needs of the people it serves. “To undertake this change requires leadership and vision. We believe that President Smith has done an outstanding job of providing these essential ingredients to Washington State University.”
Otero said, “During his 13 years presiding, Dr. Smith has successfully guided this institution from a single campus to a multicampus system with an ever-growing statewide presence. He has led WSU through changes that have positioned us to meet the competition and demands of the 21st century.
“It is, in our opinion, critical to the success of this great university that President Smith continue the work he has started here and continue to lead us into the future,” said Regent Otero.
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