It may come as a surprise to some to learn that University President Mary Sue Coleman makes more than the president of the United States. The U.S. president makes a base salary of $400,000, while Coleman receives a base salary of $553,500. And, when you factor in other bonuses from the University, her total compensation package comes to a whopping $783,850 this year. But as steep as Coleman’s salary is, what's more troubling is the increase of presidents’ salaries across the country. University presidents — including Coleman — should reject high salaries to show their commitment to the mission of public education.

According to data released by The Chronicle of Higher Education last week, Coleman is the sixth highest-paid public university president in the country. Coleman has declined in salary ranking over the past few years, falling from the highest-paid public university president in 2002 and fifth in 2008. Despite the fact that Coleman accepted a 4-percent base salary raise in the 2009 fiscal year, she ranked sixth this year behind presidents at the University of Washington, the University of Delaware, the University of Virginia, the University of Texas and Ohio State University.

Previous University presidents haven’t been paid nearly as highly as Coleman. Former University President Lee Bollinger earned $326,550 in 2001, the year before he resigned from his position at the University of Michigan and became the president of Columbia University. Though some of the difference can be attributed to inflation, the wide disparity shows that universities have started to shift their priorities. Coleman’s exorbitant compensation is reminiscent of a for-profit private sector rather than a public service salary.

Coleman’s high salary is indicative of a disturbing trend in public education: increasing administrative salaries. The purpose of public education has gotten lost amid the high-stakes competition for the best president, which comes complete with high salaries and monetary competition. Though the argument that the University must offer a competitive salary to retain Coleman's services may be a reality, it is representative of the core problem now facing public education. The focus of many public universities has shifted from education to enterprise, making salary figures more important than the mission of universities: to educate. Those who work in public education shouldn't do so because of the monetary rewards, but rather because of the purpose of improving students’ education and lives.

And though salary costs are only a drop in the bucket of costs that have trickled down to students through tuition, those in public education should never be paid at the expense of those they are meant to serve. Presidents' places at state-funded universities shouldn't be motivated by money. It should be motivated by a genuine dedication to public education and admiration for academic prestige. As long as the presidents of public universities accept high salaries, they aren't showing that dedication.

Public education should go back to its roots. And that begins, at least symbolically, by lowering the salaries of university presidents.