Reading, Riting and the Rithmetics of College and University Salaries

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Susan Mangiero

 

Not everyone is hurting when it comes to take home pay. According to "Ranks of millionaire college presidents up again" (Associated Press, November 2, 2009), higher education compensation toppled $1 million for "a record 23 presidents" with Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute ("RPI") and Suffolk University leading the way. Critics should be wary however if they think that life in the ivory tower offers a walk in the park or that numbers should be sliced downward. Recruiting experts suggest that good candidates are tough to find. Additionally, executives can add to a school's endowment which in turn impacts research projects, scholarships and renovations.

As much ado is made about how much people get paid, with the financial sector taking it on the chin big-time, consider the numerous factors that influence the nexus between supply and demand for a particular bundle of skills.

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Return, Liquidity and Valuation

Posted on January 3, 2010 by Susan Mangiero

 

More than a few of our recent conversations with pension, endowment and foundation decision-makers focus on hard-to-value investing. At a time when 2010 beckons with the hope of a buoyant market, institutions seek returns from alternatives such as hedge funds, private equity and venture capital. According to "The Endowment & Foundation Market 2009," put out by the Spectrem Group, about six out of ten organizations seek to rebuild by emphasizing non-traditional asset allocations. Other recent studies confirm the same sentiment with the caveat that liqudity is key.

Therein lies the rub.

  • Can you invest in "hard to value" assets and satisfy a need for ready cash at the same time?
  • Who should monitor valuation of "hard to value" assets?
  • What areas of concern are most acute from the investment decision-maker perspective?
  • What elements are "must have" with respect to effective policies and procedures?

In my September 11, 2008 testimony before the ERISA Advisory Council on the topic of hard to value investing, I emphasized the need to subsume pricing as part of pension risk management (though the concept transcends retirement plans, with full applicability to endowments, foundations, college plans, sovereign wealth funds and other types of buy side executives).

Click to access the United States Department of Labor Advisory Council report on hard to value investing. 

Participate in a short survey entitled "Hard to Value Investing Policies and Procedures." The questionnaire consists of twelve multiple choice queries. For those interested in receiving survey results, be sure to include your name and email address before you hit the "Submit" button.

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