Purdue board approves president performance metrics, AD contract extension
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The Purdue University Board of Trustees on Friday approved a list of performance metrics on which President Mung Chiang will be measured for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Additionally, the board approved a contract extension for Director of Athletics Mike Bobinski.
When Chiang was named president of Purdue last year, he requested the same contract structure as his predecessor, Mitch Daniels. That includes what is known as “at-risk pay” that will be determined by Chiang’s performance each year.
A year ago, the board approved Chiang’s contract, which went into affect Jan. 1, 2023, that included $420,000 in annual base pay and up to $210,000 in at-risk pay.
The metrics approved by the board focus on five key areas:
- Financial success (18%): Factors include a favorable operating budget, fundraising dollars and number of donors.
- Student success (32%): Factors include starting salary of graduates, four- and six-year graduation rates, success of programs such as the Dr. Cornell A. Bell Business Opportunity Program and Minority Engineering Program, percentage of Pell Grant recipients in undergraduate enrollment, systemwide number of graduates of all degrees, and Purdue University Online enrollment.
- Research (20%): Factors include external research funding amount, number of active industry partners, number of patents filed, and Purdue Applied Research Institute operational and facility readiness.
- Reputation (10%): Factors include the composite of three national rankings — U.S. News & World Report undergraduate rankings and the U.S. portion of QS and Times Higher Education rankings — and the number of earned media placements.
- University initiatives (20%): Factors include Purdue University in Indianapolis transition readiness, Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. School of Business top faculty recruits, Purdue Global business success plan, and other significant achievements, such as those related to Purdue Computes or Purdue’s Next Moves.
Purdue said the goals and metrics will be reviewed and revised annually.
Additionally, the board approved a contract extension for Bobinski, who will remain as vice president and director of intercollegiate athletics through June 30, 2028.
Bobinski was named to the position in August 2016, and the board touted his leadership efforts.
Purdue said its student-athletes have regularly maintained better than a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average “while performing equal to or better than the overall student body.”
“Our student-athletes are champions academically and athletically because of Mike’s leadership that funnels through his administrators and coaches,” Chiang said in a news release. “[Mike] is America’s best AD, and we are glad he will continue to be a Boilermaker.”
The university noted that Purdue Athletics saw a record $83 million raised by the John Purdue Club in 2022, and the department’s annual fund hit a record $13.5 million this year.