Story highlights Lou Anna Simon can return to faculty and take a 12-month leave at $750,000 salary

Other benefits include football tickets, parking passes

(CNN) The Michigan State University president who resigned in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal has the option of returning to the faculty and securing lifetime perks, her contract says.

Lou Anna Simon can elect to return to a faculty position and take a 12-month research leave during which time she would be paid her current $750,000 salary, according to the contract, provided to CNN by Michigan State spokesman Jason Cody.

Simon had come under fire for what critics say is the mishandling of the Nassar scandal. Critics say the school's leader of 13 years had been tone-deaf and needs to be among those held accountable for what happened while Nassar was a sports physician at the university from 1997 to 2016.

Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State doctor, was sentenced Wednesday to up to 175 years in prison for the sexual assault of young female athletes.

"As tragedies are politicized, blame is inevitable. As president, it is only natural that I am the focus of this anger," Simon said in her resignation letter Wednesday.