James Catanzaro, Carl Hite, Roger Brown and John SchwennHow they compareChattanooga State Community College• President: James Catanzaro, since 1990• Base salary: $170,568/$189,208 including all compensation• Size: 11,840 students, including those in the Tennessee Technology Center• Tuition and fees: $2,748/yearCleveland State Community College• President: Carl Hite, since 1996• Base salary: $147,599/$162,879 including all compensation• Size: 3,753 students• Tuition and fees: $3,287/yearUniversity of Tennessee at Chattanooga• Chancellor: Roger Brown, since 2005• Base salary: $225,495/$233,795 including all compensation• Size: 11,438 students• Tuition and fees: $6,718/yearDalton State College• President: John Schwenn, since 2008• Base salary: $152,930/$195,980 including all compensation• Size: 5,485 in fall 2011• Tuition and fees: $3,622/year
Since the beginning of the recession, area colleges and universities have held the line on what they pay their top leaders, data show.
But school presidents say that must change if the state wants to attract and retain those leaders.
Presidents at the four area public schools — Chattanooga and Cleveland state community colleges, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Dalton State College in Georgia — all earn below the national median except for James Catanzaro, president of Chattanooga State. His base salary is right on the median at $170,568.
“Most systems are very cognizant of the economy,” said Gretchen Bataille, senior vice president of the Washington, D.C.-based American Council on Education.