Put employment deal in writing

It's not all that unusual that University of Iowa President Sally Mason's husband collects paychecks for his work at the UI and the University of Iowa Foundation.

In fact, if Regents and UI officials had been upfront about Ken Mason's employment agreement at the outset, we doubt there'd be much fuss about the arrangement at all.

But they didn't, leaving us with conflicting recollections about how the deal was struck, lending an unnecessary air of suspicion to the whole negotiation.

Ken Mason will be paid $54,175 from the UI Foundation this year to attend fundraising events to benefit the school. Add to that his salary as part-time lecturer in the UI biology department, that means he'll bring in more than $107,000.

His employment apparently was part of Sally Mason's employment negotiations. Foundation officials say then-interim President Gary Fethke asked them to create the part-time foundation job. Fethke has told reporters he had no memory of the conversation but that doesn't necessarily mean it didn't happen. Regents who were on the board at the time have different memories of the event.

The wives of Iowa's other two public university presidents aren't compensated for their work raising money for those schools, although the arrangement isn't unheard of.

In fact, the Association of American Universities, a group of more than 60 research universities which includes both The University of Iowa and Iowa State University, recommends that institutions carefully consider the role a potential president's spouse might play before they even offer the job to a candidate. The group encourages institutions to formalize the spouse's role at the institution, possibly including a titled position with salary and benefits either funded directly or through the university's foundation.

Fundraising is one of the suggested areas for involvement, along with alumni affairs and development, supporting university and community relations, assisting in the successful execution of official events, community involvement and participation in civic events.

An AAU representative told us this week the organization doesn't keep track of how many institutions actually formally employ presidential partners, although State Board of Regents President Craig Lang recently told reporters he thinks half of the UI's peers do so.

That's fine so long as the arrangements are public and the spouses competently execute their duties. But such agreements should be made in the full light of day.

Even though foundation money is private, its close affiliation with the UI demands a high standard of transparency. That's where the UI and UI Foundation missed their mark.

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