Lou Anna Simon's resignation from MSU comes with lifetime of perks

Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon's resignation Wednesday night kicked in a number of special benefits she'll receive, including lifetime free tickets to MSU football games and a 12-month paid research leave if she returns to the faculty.

According to her contract, Simon is allowed to resign her position by giving a 60-day notice to the board. In those 60 days, she's to continue to function as the school's president and "provide reasonable assistance" in the transition to the next president.

It's still unclear who will take over for Simon. The board has a 10 a.m. Friday closed- door workshop scheduled.

["As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable": Read the full text of Simon's resignation letter here]

"We will be working through the details of transition with President Simon through the rest of the week and will announce them as soon as we can," board chairman Brian Breslin said in a statement Wednesday night. "Many are aware President Simon delayed returning to the faculty to lead through the challenges the university has been facing. We greatly appreciate her integrity, her many contributions, and her willingness to continue to serve through transition."

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Simon's contract has a number of details about what she gets if she resigns. She can choose to return to the faculty, at which point she will get a 12-month research leave at her current salary of $750,000. She then gets her current salary for the next year and 75% of her salary for the next two years. She also gets office space and secretarial support. She also gets the title of "president emeritus."

Past presidents at the University of Michigan, including Mary Sue Coleman and James Duderstadt, have had office space after they stepped down. Coleman, who is the president of the Association of American Universities, still has a small office on campus. Duderstadt has a salary and an office because he is now a faculty member.

But Simon's contract is unique.

"In the 200+ presidential contracts we’ve reviewed, this is the only contract that provides for the president to receive 100% of their last presidential base salary for the first year that they return to the faculty," James Finkelstein, a professor emeritus at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University and the leading researcher of presidential pay, told the Free Press in an e-mail.

He reviewed Simon's contract at the Free Press's request.

"This means that Dr. Simon will be paid at least $750,000 for her first year returning to the faculty from her research leave. After that, she will be paid 75% of that base salary, or at least $562,500 per year. Dr. Simon’s field is higher education. She received her PhD in education from MSU in 1974.

"So based on this contract, it would appear that Dr. Simon will be paid more than twice the amount of the most highly paid faculty member in the College of Education. In addition, she will be paid more than the most highly paid faculty member in the entire university, C. Konrad Gelbke who makes $433,441. He is one of the world’s leading physicists."

The contract also spells out a number of lifetime perks Simon and her husband will receive.

Parking passes for on-campus parking

Two free tickets to home football games for the Spartan Club suites

Two free tickets to women's basketball games

The option to buy up to four men's basketball tickets in the same location she currently has seats

Reduced-price tickets for bowl games and post-season play for football, men's and women's basketball and ice hockey

Parking pass for all home sporting and cultural events

"Other than the granting of emeritus status, we rarely see such benefits in any contracts," Finkelstein said. "What is extremely unusual about these benefits is that so many of these are related to sporting events.

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"In fact, this is the only contract that we’ve seen with these specific types of benefits.

"In addition, this is the only contract we’ve seen that provides lifetime technical computer support for both the president and a spouse/partner. The way this contract reads, this support seems to go beyond what is typically provided to other emeritus faculty in that the Office of the President is required to pay for such support."

Contact David Jesse: 313-222-8851 or djesse@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @reporterdavidj

About Lou Anna Simon

Born Lou Anna Kimsey in 1947, in Sullivan, Ind.

Her father was a factory worker and Simon was the first person in her family to go to college.

Married to Roy Simon

Received bachelor's of arts degree in mathematics from Indiana State University in Terre Haute in 1969

Received a master's of science in student personnel and counseling from Indiana State University in 1970

Received a PhD in administration and higher education from Michigan State University in 1974

Immediately hired as a faculty member.

From 1993-2004 held several jobs, including Assistant Director of the Office of Institutional Research; Assistant Provost for General Academic Administration; Associate Provost; Provost; and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Became president of MSU in 2005, becoming the 20th person — and first woman — to lead the university

In 2016, Simon's total compensation was $850,000, including a $100,000 bonus, the sixth highest in the nation.

Pressured to resign Jan. 24, 2018 amid a widespread sex abuse scandal involving an MSU doctor and more than 150 female gymnasts

Compiled by Omar Abdel-Baqui, Detroit Free Press