By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
During a meeting in which the Bowling Green State University trustees heard positive reviews of how the university has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, the board voted to reward President Rodney Rogers with a bonus, increased deferred compensation, and a three-year extension of his contract to 2026.
Rogers’ base salary will remain $480,000. The board awarded him a bonus of 12.5 percent, or $60,000.
Rogers stated that as he did last year, he will donate the bonus back to the university. Those funds will be redirected to diversity and belonging initiatives and scholarships, he said. According to a statement by the university, this brings to $144,900 in bonus returns from Rogers.
The trustees also added another 12.5 percent to the 20 percent in deferred called for in his contract. That will bring the deferred compensation to $156,000.
In awarding the bonus and deferred compensation and extending Rogers’ contract, the trustees cited his leadership during the pandemic.
Among the achievements cited were:
- increased enrollment, including this semester, when most other state institutions saw declines;
- more external fundings for research and creative activity;
- the Schmidthorst College of Business becoming the first named college;
- the opening of business college’s new home, the Maurer Center;
- the launch of the diversity and belonging initiative;
- the creation of the Life Design program to connect students’ studies with their life after graduation;
- and national recognition as seen in rankings by U.S, News and World Report and the Wall Street Journal.
In announcing the action, Betty Montgomery, who chairs the trustees, said the president’s evaluation was based on metrics developed by previous chair Dan Keller as well as Rogers’ self-evaluation.
Rogers said he was humbled by the resolution. But he also credited those across campus as well as alumni “who are all working together and putting in so much time because they care so deeply about Bowling Green State University.”
He said he was honored to be in the position of president and was indebted to all those who remained focused on moving the institution forward. The action was a “vote of confidence” for those efforts.
