The Web this morning was full with reports on the results of the latest survey on compensation for higher education executives, released by the Chronicle of Higher Education.  The press coverage is, shall we say, not positive, with language like “eye-popping” and “big payday” being representative.  Some reports note – but not until after the more sensational language – information needed to put the reports in perspective, such as a quote from Jeffrey J. Selingo, editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education:

“Presidents are giving back some of their pay, or trustees are freezing salaries. Both groups are worried about how the public perceives a high salary at a time when budgets are being slashed and tuition continues to increase.”

Many of the reports note that the survey covers “Fiscal Year 2008” and some note that it covers “2007-2008” but a quick review of the press reports on-line showed few (one being the Wall Street Journal) that emphasized that the survey is reporting numbers dating back to before last Fall’s financial crisis.  As we see with hospitals, most of the press stories concentrate on the highest numbers reported by institutions in the reporting newspaper’s local area.

Check out the NewsFeed section at our website for continuing coverage of compensation in higher education.