St. Edward’s University President George Martin received a 4 percent increase in pay this academic year, according to university spokesperson Mischelle Diaz and Chairman of the Board of Trustees John Bauer. The faculty also received a 4 percent increase this year.

Although Martin and other university officials declined to comment on how much Martin makes currently, the Chronicle of Higher Education posts information on the salaries of university presidents. The latest information they have published is from the 2008-2009 school year.

Martin’s salary increased by $85,430 in the 2008-2009 academic year, including bonus, incentive, and other compensation, not including benefits. Martin’s pay increased by about 21 percent, from $397,189 in the 2007-2008 academic year to $482,619 in the 2008-2009 academic year. Martin raised faculty pay by 3 percent that year.

Martin’s total compensation package for 2008-2009 was $593,575. His base compensation was $328,253, with the rest attributed to bonus and incentive compensation, other compensation and his benefits package.

Martin became president in 1999. His pay has risen each year, in addition to the percent increase determined by the Board of Trustees.

The total compensation Martin received in 2008-2009 academic year ranked 20th among presidents at masters-granting institutions nationwide and 102nd in total compensation overall among private university presidents in the nation.

The presidents of Trinity and Dallas Baptist University are the only other presidents of private universities in Texas that received a larger amount of compensation during the 2008-2009 academic years.

Bauer, a St. Edward’s graduate, is in his second term as chairman of the Board of Trustees. He explained in detail the process the board must go through before selecting an adequate percent increase.

Bauer said the “curriculum [offered], achievement of goals, enrollment” and “success in all areas” are just a few of the many areas the board reviews. The process of deciding on Martin’s salary increase can take up to three to four months.

The board forms a committee to determine Martin’s salary increase. The committee that determined Martin’s 2010 salary consisted of five board members. The university also hires an evaluation firm to determine if Martin’s salary should increase. This year, and in years past, they have hired the Towers Watson firm.

The firm takes into consideration Martin’s accomplishments and compares compensation to universities in Texas as well as to similar universities across the country. Throughout the process, the committee works with the firm. Once the firm comes to a consensus, it presents its findings and suggestions to the members of the board, which then vote on the issue.

The board has the role of selecting the president and evaluating the president each year. Members of the board also speak with the president about goals they have set for the upcoming academic year, and at the end of that academic year they determine if those goals have been met.

Martin implemented his five-year plan, the Strategic Plan 2015, last year upon the completion of his 10-year plan. This five-year plan is one of the many goals the board evaluates. Bauer said Martin’s five-year plan is “a roadmap to the direction we’d like to take the university.”

“[The] five-year plan is very lofty…[it is]…a guideline we use for establishing growth and resources the university needs,” Bauer said.

Under the five-year plan, according to Bauer, St. Edward’s hopes to further establish its global perspective. The university wishes to do this by providing an abundant amount of study abroad opportunities for students as well as welcoming students from around the country and around the world onto campus. In fact, this year more international students than ever before joined the St. Edward’s community.

The 2015 Strategic Plan also includes the expansion of the Scarborough-Phillips Library.

“I am really happy with the progress of the strategic plan of 2015 … We’re ahead of where we hope to be,” Martin said.