University Of Florida Contract With Ben Sasse Calls For $ 1 Million Annual Base Salary

The University of Florida (UF) is proposing a contract to pay Nebraska U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse a base salary of $1 million a year in his role as its next president.

Sasse’s appointment, unanimously supported last week by the UF Board of Trustees, is expected to be confirmed by the Board of Governors of the University of Florida system on Thursday, following a tumultuous period that saw student protests, a Faculty Senate vote of no confidence in his selection and national attention to what was often portrayed as a politically motivated choice.

As part of the Board’s agenda on Thursday, the proposed contract for Sasse will be taken up and voted on. It calls for an initial five-year term with a base salary of $1 million per year, and includes annual pay increases of as much as 4% if he meets a set of performance goals.

Sasse, who currently is paid $174,000 a year as a U.S. Senator, will also receive a retention bonus of $200,000 per year if he stays at UF through the entire contract. He will also be eligible for annual 15% “performance bonuses,” contingent on him meeting certain performance goals, including adoption of a strategic plan with short-term and long-term goals.

The contract also includes a set of executive benefits, including payment of moving expenses, a 15% retirement benefit paid by the university, tuition remission for any of Sasse’s immediate family members who might enroll at the University of Florida, and health, life and disability insurance paid by UF. In addition, “reasonable business, travel and entertainment expenses (including professional dues and meetings) incurred in his capacity as President of the University shall be reimbursed.”

Sasse will be required to live the Dasburg President’s House as a condition of his appointment. The university will pay “the cost of hazard and liability insurance, utilities (including internet service), housekeeping, home office facilities, equipment and services, landscaping, maintenance, and grounds-keeping, security, repair and maintenance of The Dasburg President’s House facility.”

Sasse’s term as the 13th president of UF would begin on Feb. 6, 2023 and could be extended with mutual agreement by Sasse and the Board of Trustees. The board can also terminate Sasse’s employment at any time with or without cause, although it’s required to give at least 60 days’ prior written notice in the event of a termination without cause.

At the end of his service as president, Sasse will also be eligible for appointment as a full-time faculty member at the university, per the contract.