University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella is eligible for $225,000 in bonuses for 2024-2025 on top of his base salary of $810,000 after the Arizona Board of Regents board approved an amendment to his contract during a special board meeting Wednesday.

Garimella’s bonuses are tied to six board-approved compensation goals that correspond to different amounts totaling $225,000. Combined with his base salary of $810,000, Garimella is set to receive more than $1 million upon completion of his first year as UA president.

“The board’s goals for President Garimella are designed to set the university up for success by developing a strategic vision, improving budgeting and finding new revenue streams. U of A is a top-tier research university, and the board is eager to see President Garimella take the Wildcats to new heights,” Regents Chair Cecilia Mata said in an email.

All compensation, including bonuses and base pay, come from the university, according to Megan Gilbertson, the board’s associate vice president for public affairs.

In addition to his base pay and bonuses, the university provides housing — a $1.3 million home in the Sam Hughes neighborhood — and a $10,000 annual car allowance, among other benefits, according to Garimella’s employment contract.

Garimella — the university’s 23rd president — replaced Robert Robbins, who announced his resignation in April following months of scrutiny over his role in the UA’s financial crisis with many faculty, staff and students calling for him to step down. 

Among Garimella’s goals is $40,000 for budget-related issues including instituting “more clear and transparent budgeting and accounting processes for the university,” addressing amount of cash-on-hand and overseeing “the correction of the deficit and improvement in budget processes and financial administration in Athletics.”

The highest paying goal — $50,000 — set out by the board is called “Strategic Vision” and consists of formulating “elements of a vision for the future in collaboration with the broad array of university stakeholders.” 

The next highest paying goal, at $45,000, is related to athletics. Garimella is tasked with positioning UA “as a beacon of innovation and excellence in collegiate athletics nationwide by creating an ambitious five-year strategy.” 

Other goals include $30,000 for submitting a report that “delineates administrative and deliberative structures and that clearly articulates processes for decision-making and consultation” and $40,000 for a list of new revenue streams. 

Garimella may receive partial payment for goals.

Former President Robbins started at $35,000 in eligible annual bonuses in his first year. In 2023, the final year that Robbins received at-risk compensation, he made $132,500 in 2022-2023 bonuses out of the $135,000 he was eligible for.

Robbins received a 10% pay cut in March after outcry over his leadership of the university in the midst of a financial crisis. Prior to the change, Robbins’ base salary was comparable to Garimella’s at $816,008. Robbins also surrendered $150,000 in individual at-risk compensation and $120,000 in multiple-year performance compensation. 

At the meeting, the board also approved the appointment of Ron Marx as UA’s interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, and John Arnold as UA’s senior vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer.

John Arnold, previously the board of regents’ executive director, took over as interim CFO in December after Lisa Rulney resigned from the role.

University stakeholders had been calling for Rulney’s resignation since the Nov. 2, 2023 board of regents meeting where she presented a shocking financial update, revealing that the school’s administration, which included her and Robbins, had been overspending heavily with minimal oversight.

Arnold took a leave of absence from his role with the board in late February to focus on his work dealing with the financial crisis at the UA and has since moved into the position permanently.

Ron Marx took over as interim provost — the No. 2 position at the university — after Joseph Glover announced he was leaving in August, just months after he was chosen for the position.

Glover’s resignation was among several senior leadership changes at the university, including the resignation of Jon Dudas in August. He was the UA’s senior vice president and senior associate to the president and chief of staff.

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