Kansas University’s chancellor makes a salary comparable to the national average for chief executives of public research universities, according to a recent survey published in the Chronicle for Higher Education.

Bernadette Gray-Little makes $450,000 annually in total compensation, a figure that includes $267,177 in state funds and a $25,000 annual deferred compensation payment made available to her after she retires.

According to the Chronicle, the national median total compensation for presidents and chancellors at public research universities was $436,111 during the 2008-09 school year, which is the time period covered by the survey. That figure increased by 2.3 percent over the previous year.

In Kansas, university leaders have not received salary increases since that year because of budgetary concerns. When setting salaries in Kansas, Gary Sherrer, chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents, said the board typically tries to weigh factors such as experience and level of responsibility for each university. For example, he said, at KU, a chancellor has to oversee a law school and a medical school, which aren’t present at a university like Wichita State.

“I think we do try to look at what the averages are, both nationally and at peer comparisons,” Sherrer said.

The state’s two other public research university chief executives receive salaries below the national average. At Kansas State University, President Kirk Schulz makes $350,000 annually, and at Wichita State University, President Don Beggs makes $277,160 per year. Both salaries draw $255,298 from public funds, with the remainder coming from private sources.

Sherrer said that eventually, salaries would have to go up again after these past few years of no increases.

“We know that long term, that’s not good,” Sherrer said. “When you need a new president or chancellor, you’ve got to go out and compete in the marketplace.”

The public university leader who earned the highest compensation package in 2008-09 was Ohio State University’s E. Gordon Gee, whose total compensation was more than $1.5 million, according to the Chronicle’s survey.