By Matthew Kaufman
Managing Editor
The College will pay $400,500 this year to Former President Foster in addition to $400,000 in compensation for Interim President Bernstein, according to the employment contracts of the two leaders.
The Signal submitted an Open Public Records Act request for Bernstein’s contract and compared it to Foster’s final contract, which was obtained last semester.
Luke Sacks, the College’s head of media relations, confirmed in a statement to The Signal that Foster is currently receiving a salary “equal to that of the final year of her presidential contract,” which he said was $400,500–about the same as a U.S. president.
Bernstein’s contract states that the College will pay for up to two round-trip flights to San Diego, where his family resides, per month, including “coach airfare and ground transportation.”
The College provides a house for Bernstein to live in during his tenure and pays for housekeeping services, utilities, cable television and internet. Foster was also provided a house with amenities while she was president, which she vacated after she left office.
Other benefits include a 2023 Honda Accord that the College has purchased for Bernstein. He can use the vehicle for both professional and personal use, and the College pays for travel expenses, such as gasoline.
“When he departs the vehicle will be added to the college’s vehicle fleet,” Sacks said.
Foster’s contract stated that she would be awarded a one-year paid sabbatical only if she were terminated without cause or completed her term, not if she voluntarily resigned, The Signal reported at the time. Even though Foster said she voluntarily resigned, she was still awarded the sabbatical and other termination benefits.
“The Board of Trustees used its discretion to award her the post-agreement benefits to which she would have been entitled had she completed her contractual term,” Sacks said at the time.
All of these expenses come at a time of financial uncertainty for the College, as the administration seeks to boost revenue and pay back debt. As of Sept. 2022, the debt facing the College totaled $358.6 million.
Administration officials have also expressed concern over an impending “demographic cliff” in higher education, where more and more people will decline to attend college. This could lead to decreased revenue for the College and make it harder to expand or fund programs.
Foster plans to return to the College next fall as a political science professor. Sacks said that she will then “receive a salary comparable with that of a political science professor with tenure.”
Correction Sept. 26: This story has been updated for more clarity. A previous version may have been unclear in stating that Foster no longer resides in the College-owned home. Additional information from Luke Sacks regarding Foster’s salary as professor upon her return has also been added.
