How do we lure the big dogs to the U and MnSCU?

MPR's Tim Post looks at how officials are figuring out what to pay the future chiefs of both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system (MnSCU).

What each man gets so far:

University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks ranks as one of the highest-paid public college presidents in the U.S. His base salary is $455,000 a year. Add retirement funds to the mix, and the total compensation package is almost $650,000.

The university also allows Bruininks to crash on its couch, so to speak. He lives at the university's official residence, Eastcliff, a stately, 20-room, 10,000-square-foot mansion on the banks of the Mississippi River.

(MnSCU) Chancellor James McCormick receives a base salary of $360,000. With performance bonuses, retirement, and housing and car allowances, his total compensation is more than $450,000 a year.

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