Our Services
Designing defensible, competitive pay packages for presidents, chancellors, cabinet-level leaders, and senior administrators in higher education.
The Service
Leadership Pay That Stands Up to Scrutiny
Part of Job Classification & Compensation
Executive compensation in higher education is uniquely complex. Boards of trustees, compensation committees, governance bodies, and public reporting requirements all shape the framework — and any misstep can become a headline.
McKnight HR builds executive pay programs that are competitive in the talent market, aligned with institutional mission, and defensible under every form of review — IRS intermediate sanctions, IRS Form 990 disclosures, accreditation examinations, and public scrutiny.
Our Framework
What Defines Sound Executive Pay
Peer Benchmarking
Rigorous comparison against a custom peer group — drawn from institutions of similar size, mission, geography, and complexity.
Governance Alignment
Structures that support the compensation committee’s fiduciary role and provide clear documentation for board-level decisions.
Regulatory Compliance
IRS intermediate sanctions, reasonable compensation standards, and state-level public disclosure requirements built in from day one.
What's Included
Service Deliverables
Peer Group Development
Customized peer institution list with rationale and data sources documented for compensation committee review.
Market Analysis
Comprehensive benchmarking across base salary, incentive pay, deferred compensation, and executive benefits.
Pay Package Design
Recommendations for base, variable, and long-term compensation components aligned with strategic priorities.
Committee Support
Executive summary materials, presentation decks, and facilitation support for compensation committee meetings.
Governance Documentation
Written compensation philosophy, charter updates, and reasonable compensation documentation for IRS and audit purposes.
Contract Review
Employment agreement analysis, severance structure review, and change-in-control provision benchmarking.
Related Areas
Explore Related Areas
Job Classification & Total Compensation
The broader framework for institution-wide compensation systems — faculty, staff, and executives.
Faculty Compensation
Rank-based structures, promotion pathways, and equity analysis for faculty compensation.
Preparing for a Compensation Committee Review?
Let’s talk about how we can support your governance process.