Ellspermann to earn $300K in Ivy Tech job
Incoming Ivy Tech Community College President Sue Ellspermann will earn $300,000 per year in her new role that officially starts Friday.
The Ivy Tech board of trustees approved a three-year contract for Ellspermann on Thursday.
Ellspermann, a former lieutenant governor, will receive the same base salary as her predecessor, Tom Snyder. The contract allows Ellspermann to be considered for annual bonuses of $60,000 if she meets performance goals set by the state board.
Ellspermann assumes the role facing pressure from lawmakers to boost Ivy Tech’s graduation rates. Just 5 percent of Ivy Tech’s full-time students complete a degree within two years. After six years, according to state data, about a quarter of students have graduated.
Ellspermann, who spent June visiting Ivy Tech campuses across the state, said she came away with a better understanding of how those locations are meeting the workforce needs of their region.
"It really was about meeting faculty, understanding their challenges and their concerns and the commitments they have to the students," she said.
Ellspermann will lead the creation of a strategic plan that will serve as a "fresh start" in setting goals for the college's future, said Paula Hughes, chair of the board of trustees. Hughes said she wants the college to become closely aligned with workforce development and higher education groups. She said Ellspermann has the "vast knowledge" and "vast connections" to make that happen.
"We believe she will be able to pull all that together and build the strategies that take Ivy Tech into the future," Hughes said.
Another key task Ellspermann will oversee is the statewide community college system's budget request for the 2017 legislative session when lawmakers write a new, two-year spending plan. She told IndyStar that Ivy Tech will begin measuring whether students graduate within their expected time frame. The additional metric will allow the college to gauge whether it's meeting individual student needs, she said.
Snyder, the college’s outgoing president, announced his retirement last year. In addition to his base salary, he had earned $57,500 in deferred compensation.
The contract sets Ellspermann's salary for the 2016-17 school year and requires an annual evaluation of her performance by the state board. Ellspermann will receive a $1,080-per-month stipend to cover the use of her personal vehicle for Ivy Tech business. She'll also receive a $200-per-month stipend to cover her cellphone and other technology costs.
Ivy Tech trustees unanimously approved Ellspermann for the top job in May. Two months prior, Ellspermann left Gov. Mike Pence’s administration to seek the job with his support, a considerable advantage given he appoints the members of the college’s board.
Pence, who is facing a tough election rematch against Democrat John Gregg, quickly named Eric Holcomb, a former U.S. Senate candidate and Indiana Republican Party chief, as his choice for her successor.
Ellspermann has a doctoral degree and previously managed an economic development center at the University of Southern Indiana.
IndyStar reporter Stephanie Wang contributed to this story.
Call IndyStar reporter Chelsea Schneider at (317) 444-6077. Follow her on Twitter: @IndyStarChelsea.
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