Chancellor Donde Ploughman of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville will receive a $160,000 raise after pushing the university to be the fastest-growing in the Southeastern Conference.
Starting July 1, his salary will increase by about 24% from $660,000 to $820,000.
“In my opinion, our chancellor is one of the best, if not the best, in the country,” Boyd said. “She’s doing an incredible job.”
Boyd attributes UT’s rapid enrollment growth — up 12% over the past five years — to Ploughman’s leadership and guidance.
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“Over the past five years, we are now number one in growth and penetration (in the SEC), due in large part to the fact that we have found a great leader here,” Boyd said.
A compensation study looking at UT’s peer and aspirational institutions—other universities in the US that compare UT itself as a benchmark—found that Plowman’s salary dropped by almost $200,000, compared to the 75th percentile.
Plowman receives a housing allowance of $1,667 per month before taxes and other specific benefits including health insurance, retirement pay, paid time off, tuition waivers, and exemptions. He is also reimbursed for travel expenses related to work.
Ploughman became the highest-paid chancellor in university history when she was hired in 2019. Former Chancellor Beverly Davenport was previously the highest-paid chancellor with an annual salary of $585,000.
Ploughman is the second highest-paid chancellor in the UT system. Peter Buckley, the Chancellor of the UT Health Science Center, receives a basic salary of $950,000.
The decision does not need to be approved by the UT Board of Trustees. No compensation changes made for other UT system chancellors
Union Territory Leaders Salary
- Peter Buckley, UT Health Science Center: $950,000
- Donde Ploughman, UT Knoxville: $820,000
- Carrie Castille, UT Agricultural Institute: $400,000
- Steve Angle, UT Chattanooga: $382,512
- Keith Carver, UT Martin: $382,512
- Mark La Brunch, UT Southern: $240,000
- Herb Bird, UT Institute of Public Service: $226,272
- Mark Whorton, UT Space Institute: $226,272
- Randy Boyd, UT System President: $10,000
