Jim Clements' annual salary stands at$901,330
Mollie R. Simon|Anderson Independent Mail
Clemson University's president, Jim Clements, got a contract extension on Friday.
The university's Board of Trustees approved an extension for Clements from 2022 to November 2023. They also requested that the Clemson University Foundationapprove a new split-dollar life insurance policy for Clements.
If approved in November, the foundation would put $300,000 a year for five years into a policy, which Clements could draw annuities from after retirement.
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Clements was hired at the end of 2013, and in February 2017, the trustees voted to extend his contract through February 2022.
In October 2017, the board approved a $100,000 raise for Clements. His annual salary stands at$901,330, with$312,530 from the state and$588,800 from the foundation.
More: Clemson trustees approve $100,000 pay raise for President Clements
For the 2016 to 2017 academic year, Clements was the 23rd highest paid public university president, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education.Harris Pastides of the Universityof South Carolina at Columbia was No. 43 on the list at $691,592.
Both salaries aredwarfed by that of James R. Ramsey from the University of Louisville, who made$4,290,232 for the same year.
Other raises
On Thursday, the Board of Trustees' Compensation Committee voted to approve a number of additional raises.
The vice presidentof development and alumni relations will now be making $305,000.The vice president of research received a raise to $320,000. The dean for the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences was bumped up to $350,000, and the dean of the College of Education will make $250,000.
$2.5 million donation
Before the full board meeting on Friday, the university announced a $2.5 million donation from Ben and Cheri Phyfer.
"There is not enough money coming from the South Carolina government to make Clemson’s goals come true," Cheri Phyfer said."Clemson has their sights set high. We are extremely excited to give this gift, we hope that out of our coming forward other people will feel compelled to give to the university."
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The gift is the third "Cornerstone" academic gift, which entails a contributionof $2.5 million or more, and the couple is the youngest so far to make such a gift.
Twelve Cornerstone gifts have already been given to athletics.
The Phyfer's gift includes$2 million for the Phyfer Auditorium for the new College of Business building,$380,000 for the Phyfer Innovation Hub at Greenville ONE, and $120,000 for university-wide student scholarships.
More: Check out Clemson's progress on an $87.5M business college set to open in 2020
"We have been considering a gift for some time, trying to figure out what the right gift is," Ben said. Now that the business school is coming alive, that made the most sense for us to be a part of."
Cheri is a 1993 Clemson alumna and became a member of the Board of Trustees in 2016.
Split vote
In the only split vote of the full board meeting, the trusteesapproved a proposal to explorethe use of Clemson trademarks in conjunction with a "drink responsibly alcohol related athletics sponsorship."
During the committee discussion, Almeda Jacks, vice president of student affairs,said this would provide extra dollars for Clemson by potentially allowing an alcohol company, such as Budweiser, to use the Clemson tiger paw on ads around responsible drinking.
Trustees Ronald Lee and Robert Peeler voted against the proposal, and William Smith recused himself as a family member works for JMI Sports, the marketing company Clemson contracts with for sponsorship deals.
Construction projects move forward
Thetrustees also approved a number of projects.
These included $500,000 to explore options for Lehotsky Hall. While the board estimated it would take$30 million to renovate the building, trustees also raised the possibility of tearing it down and rebuilding it.
The board also gave final approval for the privately funded, $5 millionSamuel J. Cadden Chapel, a nondenominational, reflective space set to be builtalong the Campus Green and completed in 2020.
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For the world of athletics, the board put a final stamp of approval on an $8 million construction budget for a 13,000 square-foot soccer operation complex, scheduled for completion in fall 2020.
The university will also acquire 25 acres of vacant land in Pendleton to expand the adjacent Simpson Experimental Station. Owners Phyllis D. Fowler and Dorothy W. Danenhower ware selling it for $205,000.
At the Institutional Advancement Committee meeting, Cathy Sams from University Relations, presentedon how the university is implementing ideas from the trustee's History Task Force. While she reported there is not a lot of enthusiasm for a traditional museum on campus because of the size, expense and difficulty of raising funds, she said a feasibility study is under way for creating an interpretive history center in the Trustee House on campus.
More: New signs aim to share Clemson University's 'complete' history
