NEOUCOM president gives back month’s salary

The president/dean said a report on the state’s economy prompted her to give back.

STAFF REPORT

ROOTSTOWN — The president and dean of the College of Medicine of the Northeastern Ohio Universities Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy is giving back one month of her salary to be used for student scholarships and academic support.

Dr. Lois Margaret Nora said her decision to return money to the state’s only free-standing medical school was a response to Gov. Ted Strickland’s report on the status of Ohio’s economy.

Strickland recently announced that the state is facing a $640 million shortfall for the remainder of the current fiscal year, and a more than $7 billion deficit in the state’s upcoming fiscal year 2010-11 operating budget.

The gift amounts to $26,666, according to NEOUCOM.

“These are unique times,” Nora said. “Our state and higher education in our state are facing substantial challenges. Scholarship assistance and academic program enhancements are important ways to ensure that outstanding medical and pharmacy education continues to be available, especially to socioeconomically disadvantaged students who are most negatively impacted by high tuition.”

“This, in turn, allows us to meet our mission of improving the health of Northeast Ohio by educating the next generation of physicians and pharmacists who will care for people in our region,” she said.

Nora has a base salary of $320,000 plus a $30,000 performance bonus coming this year. She also receives a housing allowance and has some deferred income.

She was offered a 3 percent pay raise in May but turned it down, instead securing permission to reallocate the $9,600 among members of her executive team who have been instrumental in the institution’s success.

In November, NEOUCOM announced it canceled a series of salary increases set for January 2009 and has limited hiring to only those jobs that are time-sensitive and mission-critical.

Additionally, the entire faculty and staff have been actively working toward cutting costs, including such initiatives as minimizing energy usage, limiting travel, meeting via phone or videoconference, canceling or reducing advertising, and recycling materials whenever possible.

“All of us at NEOUCOM are committed to leading by example, and, for me, this is the right thing to do at a time when the people of Ohio are faced with such adverse economic pressure,” said Nora.

Youngstown State University is one of the university partners (along with Kent State and the University of Akron) with NEOUCOM.

A YSU spokesman said David C. Sweet, president, has also given back to Youngstown State to the tune of $43,859 during his eight years in office.

A breakdown shows $39,849 given through the development offices for such things as scholarships and endowments; $2,200 to athletics; and $1,810 to WYSU-FM, the campus radio station.