UCF President gets a contract extension and a 20% pay raise

University of Central Florida (UCF) President Alexander Cartwright’s contract was extended this week, giving him a $900,000 base salary — a 20% raise — to continue leading one of the biggest schools in the country for the next year.

The Florida Board of Governors approved Cartwright’s deal Thursday after the trustees at the Orlando school voted yes last month.

The new contract will pay him a $900,000 base salary starting April 13 until April 12, 2026. In addition, he is eligible to receive bonuses up to $375,000, which would put Cartwright’s total compensation at $1.275 million.

His previous annual base salary was $750,000.

“Dr. Cartwright’s efforts have also positioned UCF as a national leader in higher education,” UCF Trustees Chair Alex Martins, who is the Orlando Magic CEO, wrote in a Jan. 14 letter to the state board. “Under President Cartwright’s leadership, UCF is on track to achieve preeminence by 2026, unlocking new opportunities and resources that will propel the university to even greater heights.”

Cartwright was hired at the school in April 2020.

Since Cartwright took over, the school’s four-year graduation rates improved while 72% of UCF graduates are finishing their schooling without taking any federal loans, Martins wrote in his letter.

Martins also praised Cartwright for helping grow the school foundation’s endowment from $163 million to $262 million.

Several major projects are underway, from building a bigger nursing school to expanding the football stadium. 

“President Cartwright firmly believes that a vision without resources is just a hallucination, and he has worked closely with state leaders, community partners, and university supporters to secure the investments necessary for UCF’s future,” Martins wrote.

Cartwright thanked the state after his contract was renewed, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

“I do want to thank the state of Florida, our legislature, the governor’s office, everybody who has supported us in this vision of being Florida’s premier engineering and technology university,” Cartwright said. “It is the future. It’s what we need to be doing for Florida.”

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