Cleveland State University trustees and university President Ronald Berkman have champagne taste in “a shot and a beer” town and a sense of judgment when it comes to buying and selling real estate that befuddles the average brain. This past week’s announcement by university trustees that they would lease a Cleveland Heights home from a nonprofit corporation that the university controls means the trustees have done exactly what 900 students, faculty members and alumni objected to in an online petition — they bought a new house for the president.
An online search reveals that the house in question was listed at $869,000. The university has not revealed the actual purchase price — which is probably lower than the asking price. But between redecorating, furnishing, landscaping, maintenance, security and moving the now-single president into the six-bedroom, 5,486-square-foot home, the cost will be north of a million dollars. And it’s unlikely that Berkman that will be renting a U-Haul to move from his current residence.
Considering the decision of the trustees regarding the previous purchase of a home in Shaker Heights for Berkman to the tune of $800,000, making an investment of $1.2 million, and then selling that house for $800,000, inquiring minds wonder about the mental acumen of the trustees when it comes to real estate.
When Berkman moved from Shaker — due to a pending divorce — the university leased a luxury downtown apartment for the him — which by the way had to be decorated. Less than a year later Berkman and/or the trustees decided the apartment was not suitable for entertaining, which gave rise to the decision to allow the peripatetic Berkman to fold up his tents once again and seek higher ground — this time in Cleveland Heights.
I’ve kicked around a lot of universities in my days as a career student, public official, alumni trustee and university and foundation trustee, in addition to being a faculty member. One of the first things I learned was that college presidents are paid very well. The second thing I learned was that I should have been a college president.
The benefits that most universities provide their presidents are beyond the comprehension of the average working stiff. They include but are not always limited to luxury housing, a car, the cost of entertainment, a generous expense account, travel — always first class — a generous retirement packages, a tenured faculty position — in case they step down and still want a job — and just about everything else we mere mortals have to pay for in the course of our daily lives. Benefits to university presidents are so generous, one wonders what they do with the money they make.
A recent Plain Dealer article regarding the salaries of university presidents reflects that the Cleveland State University president has a base salary of $430,000 with a total package that reaches $635.000. Probably because of the press of duties, in 2014 Berkman hired Jim Bennett — a New York transplant and former Clevelander — who had previously worked for the Cleveland Convention Center. Bennett was hired as chief of staff with a whooping salary of $192,000, especially generous since his predecessor made between $80,000 and $90,000. Considering the fact that Bennett’s salary is greater than the mayor of the City of Cleveland, the county executive and the governor, it’s a pretty nice gig for someone who had never before worked at a university.
If the purchase of this new president’s house could be envisioned as a long-term investment that future CSU presidents would occupy for the next couple of decades or so, I might be willing to concede the wisdom of the decision. The problem is, CSU has a history, going back to the first president, of buying and selling homes to meet the whims of each new occupant of the president’s office.
Since the average tenure for a university president is 8.5 years and the average age of university presidents nationwide is 52 years, the 69-year-old Berkman, who has been at the university since 2009, is statistically reaching the end of his term. In another few years will the university be putting this house on the market to suit the taste of the next president who may wisely think that it is more logical to live nearer to the downtown campus?
Having visited more than my share of university presidents’ homes, I am well aware of the need of the university to entertain possible donors and guests. That being said, it seems to me that there are a sufficient number of venues on campus and in the downtown area that are available for this purpose without having to trek guests to Cleveland Heights and maintain a huge mansion where one person resides.
It is an accepted fact in the field of university fundraising circles that graduates of state-funded institutions like CSU for the most part feel that “I paid my tuition, I got my degree, I’m not interested in donating money” — especially to a generation of students who graduate with huge student loans and not always the greatest job prospects. The trustees and administration of Cleveland State should keep these factors in mind when making million-dollar decisions.
I have two graduate degrees from Cleveland State but am wearing one of my many Bowling Green State University T-shirts as I write this article. It’s because as an undergraduate alumna of Bowling Green and an annual donor, I have been pleased with the way Bowling Green has used my donations. CSU — except for the law school — has done the exact opposite with a pattern of reckless spending by the CSU and Foundation Board of Trustees. Remember that the $9,550 flight to Columbus that President Berkman took in 2013 paid for by the Foundation.
At some point in the next few months I will receive yet another solicitation either by phone or by mail from the CSU for contributions. I never want to be rude to students who are solicited to call asking for donations. But when it comes to the written solicitations, I think that I’ll forward them to the new house in Cleveland Heights rather than filing them in the circular file. Other prospective donors should do the same. Maybe that way the trustees will begin to listen.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she serves on the Board of the Ohio History Connection and was recently appointed to the Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.
2 Responses to “Living Large at Cleveland State University: What Cost, President Berkman? by C. Ellen Connally”
a. del gato
Excellent article. Thank you.
I am a CSU graduate and will not contribute one dime to the institution because of this egregious situation.
Richard A. Sherman
Ellen – Thank you for turning the spotlight on these egregious and often glossed over activities. Besides all the “frosting” of the multiple benefits that Berkman receives, I would like to see how the $600K plus that he receives in salary directly relates
to student population growth at CSU during his tenure, as well as whether the University has grown in prestige during his tenure, and whether the University is being administered in an economically balanced manner. When this kind of activity sees the light of day, it becomes more clear in understanding why people are fed up with politicians and others in the public sector, who are often overpaid and underperform. Thank you and Keep doing these types of research.