Sanjay Sharma – The Concordian

Prior to Sanjay Sharma’s departure for a higher paying administrative post at the University of Vermont, he earned over $42,000 in salary and claimed $33,230 in expenses for his last two months of employment.

Two weeks ago, The Concordian reported that the former Dean of the John Molson School of Business ended his mandate with a payout of the administrative leave he was entitled to that amounted to $96,245. During the 2011-2012 academic year, Sharma worked for two months at Concordia before departing for the University of Vermont.

Before Sharma left Concordia, he claimed an additional $33,230 as well. University spokesperson Chris Mota confirmed that the amount consists of taxable benefits, unused vacation time and a part-time teaching contract.

“It’s money paid to him, which he was entitled to for the period he was there,” said Mota.

Amongst the university’s deans, Sharma declared more than his counterparts in other faculties did for the entire year, with his successor Alan Hochstein expensing $23,140 over 10 months.

In 12 months, Dean Brian Lewis of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences submitted $15,502, Dean Robin Drew of the Faculty of Engineering claimed $15,653, Dean Catherine Wild of the Faculty of Fine Arts declared $12,938 and Noel Burke, of Continuing Education, asked for less than $10,000.

The dean of graduate studies and interim VP of research and graduate studies, Graham Carr, declared the second most in taxable benefits at over $23,000 for the entire year.

This amount of $33,230 does not include the additional payout from the administrative leave nor does it include the salary Sharma collected during the end of his contract. Sharma’s contract for the 2011-2012 year was over $252,000—however, he was entitled only to the amount he worked for. Therefore, Sharma earned approximately $42,000 in total for his last two months at Concordia.

The academic year commenced May 1, 2011 where Sharma earned a salary, benefits and claimed expenses until his mandate at the University of Vermont started on July 1 of the same year. Sharma voluntarily broke his five-year contract at Concordia so he could fill the position of dean of the School of Business Administration for a starting salary of $320,000 U.S.—the second highest paid administrator at the American institution.

Pramodita Sharma, Sharma’s spouse, who also used to teach at Concordia, now holds a position at the University of Vermont where she is a professor earning a base salary of $180,000.

When Sanjay Sharma, former dean of the John Molson School of Business, left Concordia for an administrative position at the University of Vermont in Burlington in 2011, he took $96,245 with him as part of a contractual obligation.

Concordia University provides academic deans with the option of an administrative leave at the end of their five-year term that allots to six months of their base salary and for deans serving two terms, the leave amounts to a year’s compensation.

Administrative leaves allow deans to pursue other academic interests if they so choose, according to university spokesperson Chris Mota. As part of his contract, Sharma was entitled to a six-month break.

“For five years they don’t teach, network, research, any of that,” said Mota. “In those contracts they acknowledge the fact they made a decision to be an administrator.”

This contractual agreement applies to academic senior administrators but is not extended to non-academic positions such as university rectors. The agreement does not force deans to take a leave because they are owed the additional six months pay at the end of their contract.

These leaves to pursue other interests, or the option of taking the payout as per the contractual agreement, is incurred by the operating budget of the university.

Dean Catherine Wild of the Faculty of Fine Arts also claimed part of the pay she was entitled to from the university that year but worked the entire year. Wild earned $196,556 as her salary and Concordia provided her with $16,616 as the money owed as part of the leave. Wild is now serving a second term as dean for the university.

Following the announcement of his departure in March 2011, Sharma voluntarily broke the five-year contract so he could fill the position of dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Vermont and only completed four years at Concordia. Therefore, Sharma completed four years of his term and still received the six months pay, or $96,245, although his new employment started immediately on July 1, 2011. Sharma’s starting salary at the University of Vermont, according to the Burlington Free Press, was $320,000 U.S. and he was the second-highest paid official that year behind its president.

These contractual obligations do not include the taxable benefits or expenses in direct relation to duties that senior administrators, non-academic and academic, are entitled to.