Clark Atlanta University’s president made a million in 2008. That’s outrageous
When Walter Broadnax took the helm of one of Atlanta’s historically black colleges — Clark Atlanta University — in 2002, the school, he said, was in financial trouble. So he set about laying off professors, shutting down some programs and increasing the tuition.
At the time, those moves provoked widespread controversy on campus — a group even took Broadnax to court — but they seemed necessary. Now, it turns out that the hatchet man who was cutting classes and hiking tuitions was paid more than a million dollars in 2008, according to a new survey in the Chronicle of Higher Education (via The Daily Beast). (Broadnax is 22nd on the list.) That’s simply outrageous.
UPDATE:Via e-mail, Dr. Robert Franklin, president of Atlanta’s private Morehouse College, which is ranked higher academically than Clark Atlanta, told me that he earned $285,000 in salary last year, with a total compensation package of around $330,000.
Morehouse is smaller, with fewer than 3000 students, while CAU has around 4,000, including about 1000 graduate students. (Morehouse has no graduate programs.) Morehouse has a balanced budget and a $125 million endowment.
Broadnax whittled down the deficit at CAU, but he didn’t eliminate it. He also left an assortment of problems related to financial aid and registration.
All over the country, at colleges large and small, students are struggling to keep up with soaring tuition costs as college presidents rake in the dough. (Take a look at the complete list.) But it’s especially troubling to see an academic in charge of one of the nation’s small, financially-struggling colleges take home exorbitant pay. The school couldn’t afford it!
Clark Atlanta University is a private school, and its board of directors can pay the president whatever they like. But their decision was irresponsible and unfair; CAU is a small college that depends on working-class and poor students who must borrow money to attend college. CAU has no endowment to speak of. What would have possessed the board to think Broadnax was worth that much money?
As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in 2007, when Broadnax imposed a five percent tuition increase:
While a 5 percent tuition increase falls in line with those at other schools nationally, Broadnax said he understands that the hike hits Clark Atlanta students harder. Just 34 percent of incoming freshmen finish their degrees at the university. Many come from lower-income households. Most are financing their education with loans.
“We thought a lot about [the increase], ” he said. “We agonized and suffered over it.”
Did he agonize at all over that excessive salary he was collecting? Broadnax would not likely have earned that kind of money in private enterprise. He’s not a physician, a research scientist or an engineer. Having left CAU in 2008, he’s now teaching at Syracuse University, where it’s quite unlikely he’s earning that kind of money.
Private HBCUs claim to occupy a special place in the nation’s educational landscape, awarding degrees to more black students than other colleges because they tend to spend more time making sure those students can graduate. They doesn’t happen at CAU, where only about a third of incoming freshmen get their degrees. The board of trustees owes students and alumni an explanation.
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108 comments Add your comment
Bubba Bob
November 15th, 2010
2:47 pm
Wow. I figured it was 200-300K. 1M does seem pretty high. They aren’t that large either.
JT
November 15th, 2010
2:52 pm
Thanks for the article. I will not apply there for my grad degree as I was planning too.
frozen brains
November 15th, 2010
2:54 pm
Sounds like a CEO bonus plan – cut staff and line your own pockets
Georgian
November 15th, 2010
3:01 pm
Cynthia,
Sometimes your education and work experience call for a certain pay scale. Mr. Broadnax should not have to suffer. He was paid at a rate to his collegues. Anything otherwise would have been criticized.
StJ
November 15th, 2010
3:01 pm
Not only are the presidents making millions, the coaches and AD’s of some colleges are too. It would be interesting to see how much of the average student’s tuition goes to paying for these as compared to other expenses.
resno2
November 15th, 2010
3:06 pm
He took the helm in 2002 and in 2008 was paid 1 million. How much was he paid for the other 5 years? Did the board setup a list of goals that he was to be held to, and if accomplished he would receive a bonus? Did he ultimately save the school from going under? Maybe having all of the facts might help paint a truer picture.
BTW… not only do students that go to private schools have to sometimes take out student loans to go to school.
Harry Callahan
November 15th, 2010
3:09 pm
If he truly turned the institution’s finances around, he might be worth $1 million. Liberals never seem to get that part.
cars
November 15th, 2010
3:16 pm
I want to propose a tax cut for all wage earners making a million or more. Who’s with me? and no, I’m not running for any office, I just think those what makes a mill or more are more deserving than the small people.
only the little people should pay taxes.
Word.
And Cynthia, please cut your hair. I mean, enough. You make the left look so 2001.
Tychus Findlay
November 15th, 2010
3:23 pm
Power to him. Private schools never seem to feel the same effects of a down economy.
Peadawg
November 15th, 2010
3:25 pm
It’s not just the Presidents. Look at the associate presidents, associate vise president, etc. etc(whatever new position name they can come up with). They’re quick to layoff people and put the burden on the students through higher tuition, but the Presidents themselves would never take a pay cut.
Scout
November 15th, 2010
3:26 pm
Cynthia:
How much does a :
Person who can catch a football make?
Person who can dunk a basketball make?
Major T.V. News Network talking head make?
Libby
November 15th, 2010
3:33 pm
I’m more than a little concerned that you were unable to blame Republicans for this.
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
3:41 pm
That’s outrageous? That’s an understatement, but I’d guess the amount is misleading because he received more than his salary when he departed. If he saved the system from closing down, he might have been worth it, but let’s find out what the million consisted of.
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
3:43 pm
TnGelding@3:41, He would have been worth that only if the board of trustees was unable to find a qualified person willing to do the same thing — slash costs — for less money. Something tells me there were lots of qualified people who would have done it for, say, half a million?
Billybob
November 15th, 2010
3:43 pm
“The school couldn’t afford it.”
Tucker,
Are you on the board……if not, then that is your judgment and opinion and really none of your business. I love your holier-than-though attitude that you are the arbiter of ‘fairness’. You and the far left’s idea of ‘fairness’ is to impose your will on those who disagree with you. BUT, thanks for looking out for the kids?…….yeah right…
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
3:43 pm
ah, Libby@3:33, give me a little time to find a way to make that connection.
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
3:44 pm
Again, we need a break down. It wasn’t provided for him.
resno2
November 15th, 2010
3:44 pm
Knowing the full story would probably make this a non-issue, and could actually turn Broadnax into a hero.
resno2
November 15th, 2010
3:51 pm
“Something tells me there were lots of qualified people who would have done it for, say, half a million”
Really? Are you stumping for pay czar? You, nor I, have any clue on what it takes to save a dying university. What was his pay between 2002 and 2008? What are the details of his pay package?
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
3:58 pm
Billybob@3:43, It is, indeed, my business.
Good Grief
November 15th, 2010
4:01 pm
CT @ 3:43 – Something tells me there were lots of qualified people who would have done it for, say, half a million?
____
And I’m guessing then you would’ve criticized that person for taking “so much” after laying people off, right? Private school is just like a business, when you’re in a situation as presented by the recent economy, you have a few choices. You can a. raise your rates or b. cut your overhead (workers, materials, etc.). I have to agree with part of an earlier comment, it seems like a lot of liberals don’t understand the basics of business.
Jimmy62
November 15th, 2010
4:01 pm
Private colleges can pay their Presidents whatever they want. What’s sick and wrong is the racist basis of this university. They should be shut down immediately and turned over to the court system, who will then recreate them as a non-racist institution.
How would you like it if we started calling it “The Historically White Government of Georgia?” I went to the “Historically White Georgia Institute of Technology” myself. Did you know that Obama was elected to be the “Historically White President of the United States?”
It’s amazing how much racism is perpetuated by the former victims of racism. It’s like they want payback, but I sure as hell wasn’t around when Jim Crow was. And my family moved here decades after slavery ended. Seems like most of the skin color talk comes from liberals and black people. The rest of us would like to just see people, but it’s hard when we get things like, “Historically Black Colleges and Universities” shoved in our faces or not. You get offended if we want to fly a confederate flag, but keep going with the historically black colleges and universities. Who’s the racist, clinging to the 60’s?
Nothing Is Free
November 15th, 2010
4:04 pm
The people making a fortune coaching NCAA athletic programs are in a completely different situation. They bring in massive money to the schools. A winning season in an SEC school can literally mean hundreds of millions brought in and that money is spread out into the entire scholastic programs.
Of course Clark doesn’t have any real income makers in the way of a fan base or TV contracts.
Damn, Ms Tucker. That’s two in one day. I completely agree.
How long have I been asleep?
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
4:19 pm
Nothing is Free, sorry about that
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
4:20 pm
Good Grief@4:01, Is one of the basics of business to claim a million dollars while you’re “cutting costs?” Is that a business basic?
willie lynch
November 15th, 2010
4:26 pm
Jimmy62,
Who shoves HBCU’s down your throat? Without the help of the internet you probably couldn’t name 10 of them. The fact is The Universities of Georgia integrated in 1961 est. 1795, Alabama integ. 1963 est. 1831, Mississippi integ. 1962 est. 1848, I could go on and on have a history of discrimination. Historically Black Colleges have never discriminated against anyone who wanted to attend, the name HBCU is just an indicator of the people who founded the institutions. Unlike the “historically” white schools no one has had to sue or have a National Guard escort for admission to HBCU’s. You are plain stupid.
Nothing Is Free
November 15th, 2010
4:26 pm
Ms Tucker
Anything that promotes higher education. Clark, Spellman and Morehouse are schools that should fill all Atlantans with a great deal of pride.
DWTOO
November 15th, 2010
4:26 pm
Ms. Tucker – if you said the sky is blue there are those on this blog who would take you to task.
And I agree with you on this – although none of my business and it’s up to the Board what the president makes – this appears to be excessive for an institution whose goal is education.
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
4:31 pm
From Wiki:
In 2002, Broadnax became president of Clark Atlanta University. Under Broadnax’s leadership, Clark Atlanta University became the only private historically Black College or university classified as a Doctoral/Research-Intensive institution by the Carnegie Foundation.
Clark Atlanta University
Board of Trustees
CHAIR
Mrs. Juanita Powell Baranco
Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer
The Baranco Automotive Group
Jonesboro, Georgia
VICE-CHAIR
Mr. Derrick M. Cummings
Vice President Finance And Planning
Vice President, Delphi Europe, Middle East And Africa
Delphi Powertrain Systems
Luxembourg
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
4:34 pm
Things must have improved considerabley under his leadership. I tried to call to see if they were going to issue a press release, but no one was available.
Good Grief
November 15th, 2010
4:45 pm
CT @ 4:20 – “Is one of the basics of business to claim a million dollars while you’re “cutting costs?” Is that a business basic?”
____
The basic principle here is that the board/shareholders/trustees determined how much to pay him. It was not up to any public decision. Criticize all you want.
At what point, though, does the liberal idea of fairness end? Doy ou subscribe to the Obama philosophy (it’s crazy to ask, of course you do. If Obama said that the ocean was made of pancake batter and syrup you’d likely agree) that at some point “you’ve made enough?” What is enough? If you are a homeowner, and you’re average house payment and bills total $1500/month, and then groceries are $200/month, car payment(w/insurance) of $300/month, plus $1000/year for additional expense, that totals $25000 a year. So is $25000 enough for that person? According to the girl at UGA, you shouldn’t require more than it cost to produce, so we should all try to break even. Is it wrong for that person to work a job that pays them $55000 a year, even though they only have $25000/year in expenses? Haven’t they made enough?
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
4:46 pm
…and he departed on July 31!
Good Grief
November 15th, 2010
4:51 pm
CT – If you really want to raise a ruckus over college, then tackle the issue of books. When I was completing my undergrad program, books usually ran the student about $55-75 each, and at the end of the year the school would buy them back for maybe up to $15, usually only $5 to $10 each. I figure that would get your “fair” undies in a bunch.
Union
November 15th, 2010
4:57 pm
i dont see the issue.. i mean if you are gonna complain about this.. then why arent you complaining about the bailout of the king center which no one goes to.. paid for by the taxpayer.. to keep the fat a$$ lazy king kids in style..
Nothing Is Free
November 15th, 2010
5:12 pm
Union
The King Center
What a disgrace. The last time I was over there, the back door to the main room had rusted shut.
And you might also notice that there is NO video available from any of his speeches.
The King family will also sue ANYONE who tries to sell video or photos of the crypt or any of the Atlanta landmarks surrounding the center. It’s the only place in Atlanta where that happens. They can’t even legally do it, but none of the stock houses want to deal with the law suites.
The way it is going, there will be more pictures of David Duke available than pictures of Dr. King.
Union
November 15th, 2010
5:19 pm
@ nothing.. look at the bright side.. we are gonna spend more money to send a rail system there.. umm.. OK..
dr king was a man of men.. just because he did something with his life.. (that touched and changes us all forever) doesnt mean we should support his family for the rest of theirs. i know too many military families that would be grateful for 1/1000th of what has been handed to those lazy usless crooks.. (sorry.. is that slander?)
ctucker.. seems to me.. i read/hear more and more of the black community taking advantage of the black community and saying it is ok because they are black.. maybe it is time for an inward look upon ourselves?
Orange10
November 15th, 2010
5:23 pm
They should hire an illegal alien. They would do that job for a whole lot less.
TnGelding
November 15th, 2010
5:27 pm
From Syracuse U:
Broadnax’s illustrious career spans four decades and demonstrates a proven track record of organizational leadership, successfully managing change and transforming institutions. He has served in senior- and executive-level positions both in academia and in public service at the local, state and federal levels. Throughout his career, he has shown remarkable ability to develop strategic solutions, to implement meaningful organization-wide initiatives, and to achieve positive, sustainable results.
Broadnax currently serves on the Advisory Board of Harvard University’s Taubman Center and is a Trustee Emeritus of Syracuse University and the CNA Corporation. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, the Georgia Research Alliance, and the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education (ARCHE). Other advisory roles include the United States Comptroller General David Walker’s Advisory Board, the Return To Flight (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Taskforce, Research Advisory Council of the Southern Regional Council, and United States Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Management Advisory Committee.
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
5:30 pm
TnGelding@5:27, Find out who wrote that. I’d love them to write my wiki entry for me.
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
5:31 pm
good Grief@4:45, I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine: what does Obama have to do with this post?
ctucker
November 15th, 2010
5:31 pm
DWTOO@4:26, Thanks for your comment
Minister James
November 15th, 2010
5:31 pm
This seems to be a case of the so called black elite, who actually think they are better than the average black person.This is where we are today. No matter the status there is still a color barrier in this country. Why don’t these people come back to the community to help build it up? These stiff necked coloreds who think they have made it will be the first to cry racism when they are caught in the wrong place by the KKKs who are really still out there. We; the average black man are who will have to protect your solf a….s when things get rough. And I totally agree about the King kids. Who ever made these clowns royalty?
Scout
November 15th, 2010
5:38 pm
Cynthia:
How much do you make and then we will evaluate whether or not you deserve it.
Nothing Is Free
November 15th, 2010
5:43 pm
Scout
Sorry. Doesn’t work like that. Who cares if the AJC goes under?
Barry's worst nightmare
November 15th, 2010
6:05 pm
Sounds like he’s ripping people off like another well known president ,strange don’t see you writing any articles against his pay that he certainly isn’t earning. OOPS forgot he’s a Democrat and can do no wrong in your eyes.
Fair is fair
November 15th, 2010
6:09 pm
Inquiring minds want to know. How much are you paid CT? Many of us feel that if it’s more than a dollar it’s way too much, especially with newspapers struggling around the USA. Well now that doesn’t seem fair for us to say does it? Back at ya
Good Grief
November 15th, 2010
6:09 pm
CT – Merely making an observation on your devotion to Obama and his administration’s leftist policies. That’s all. He said that at some point, you’ve made enough, and yet no one has ever described just what entails “enough.” That’s all.
Scout
November 15th, 2010
6:10 pm
Nothing Is Free :
Well, I tried ………………….
Scout
November 15th, 2010
6:12 pm
cry me a river :
Are you out there ?
BLKpwr
November 15th, 2010
6:13 pm
He is a brother. And entitled!