Inside Rhea Law’s contract with USF: Housing, travel, salary

*Rhea Law’s contract will be reviewed next week ahead of her resignation. ORACLE PHOTO/ALEXANDRA URBAN*

Allowances for housing, transportation and travel for university-related duties are some of the clauses within University President Rhea Law’s contract with USF.

Law’s contract, including her salary and a list of benefits, is set to expire at the end of March. Though she announced her future resignation, Law is set to stay in her role until after a replacement for her is chosen.

USF’s Board of Trustees will discuss Law’s contract on Tuesday, according to a university spokesperson.

John Koda, an attorney with expertise in business law, clarified certain aspects of Law’s contract as university president.

Once a new president is chosen, a new contract with different terms will be drafted, Koda said.

Automobile and housing stipend

USF provides a monthly vehicle stipend of $1,000 and a monthly housing stipend of $7,000.

The president is responsible for the payment of taxes related to the vehicle and housing stipends. The Board of Trustees (BOT) will “authorize and provide” the insurance for the vehicle.

There is no maximum amount the president can be allotted in their contract, but it cannot increase during the term.

University-related activities stipend

The university pays for “reasonable expenses” that come with university-related events, such as educational conferences, conventions and other activities, pending BOT approval.

USF also covers university-related entertainment and travel, including travel costs for the president’s spouse or partner where their attendance is in the “best interests of the university.”

The Board of Governors has regulations about entertainment-related stipends, where public funds cannot be used unless the main purpose of the event is “directly related to the performance of statutory duties.”

Those expenses also have to conform to state laws, including Florida’s “Sunshine Law,” which guarantees that records, including those related to travel expenses, are accessible to the public upon request.

The Oracle was charged $1,084.56 after requesting Law’s expenditure reports from January 2024 to January 2025. The Oracle does not have the funds to pay for the request.

Base salary

The president’s base salary is $825,000, according to the contract.

Last year, Law received a 30% raise to match the salaries of other university presidents in Florida, such as University of Central Florida President Alexander Cartwright.

“Luckily for us, we have a president that is not motivated by money, not that any of the presidents are,” Board chair Will Weatherford said when Law’s raise was approved in September. “But I think we need to pay her fairly and make sure that it’s based on data, and I think that’s what we’ve done here.”

The president can also receive a performance-based bonus of up to $412,500 per year.

In December 2023, the BOT approved a bonus of $300,000 for her “performance,” including bringing USF to the Association of American Universities.

The total pay for a USF president includes public and private funding. Part of the president’s base salary is composed of public funds, but that portion should not exceed $200,000, according to Florida Statutes.

Koda said some ways this public funding is collected is through sales taxes or property taxes.

The rest of the president’s base pay depends on how much money USF has, such as donor funds or its own revenue, Koda said.

This base amount is reviewed annually and can be increased by the BOT, but not decreased, according to the contract.