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The province’s four academic and research universities (University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Lethbridge and Athabasca University) forked out nearly $12.5 million in total compensation to their presidents and vice-presidents in the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

Presidents at those universities received just over $3 million in total compensation.

Outgoing U of A president Indira Samarasekera led the pack with a salary of $544,000 and just over $1.1 million in total compensation last year.

Overall, base pay for the entire U of A executive team was almost $3.2 million, and nearly $5.3 million in total compensation. Salaries for the school’s six vice-presidents ranged between $383,000 and $496,000.

In comparison, presidents at McGill University, the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia earned salaries, on average, of $373,000.

Former advanced education minister Thomas Lukaszuk promised to launch a review of compensation for post-secondary officials two years ago. But that review never materialized while Lukaszuk oversaw the portfolio, and no minister since has taken up the cause.

“You have a situation where an administrator of a university, as complex as the job may be, is making more than the prime minister, President Obama and throw in a couple premiers into the mix,” Lukaszuk said in a recent interview. “Intuitively, you know something is wrong.

“Every VP at the U of A gets paid more than the second-highest paid (university) president in Canada,” he added. “And this is happening while we’re introducing market modifiers on tuition.”

In December, the government gave the greenlight for 10 post-secondary schools to hike tuition in 25 professional programs (up to 56 per cent) above provincial legislation that caps increases to the annual rate of inflation.

Don Scott, minister of innovation and advanced education, was unavailable for comment. But his press secretary said the government has no plans to review salaries at universities and colleges.

“The institutions are independent, they’re board-governed and they can look after their business,” Craig Loewen said.