Utah to Review Presidential Exit Packages

The Utah Board of Higher Education plans to review presidential exit package policies following questions about severance pay at Utah Valley University, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

At issue is a $304,789 payout for outgoing Utah Valley president Astrid Tuminez, who is stepping down after nearly eight years. Her last year on the job was marked by controversy, including the shooting death of Charlie Kirk at a campus speaking event last fall and the recent cancellation of a commencement speaker who was critical of Kirk.

Tuminez’s contract formally ends May 1, and she will receive payouts on May 31 and Jan. 31, 2027, dividing her exit package into two payments of $152,394.

Utah Board of Higher Education officials told the newspaper that while it is common for departing presidents to receive “reorientation pay” and a sabbatical before rejoining the faculty ranks, Tuminez—a former Microsoft executive recruited into academia from the business world—has no plans to teach. Her contract does not include a faculty position after she exits, raising questions about the need for reorientation pay.

Utah System of Higher Education commissioner Geoff Landward told The Salt Lake Tribune that the board will review the way presidential contracts are structured going forward. While he does not anticipate the elimination of severance pay, he envisions a more limited contract for future presidents.

The controversy over Tuminez’s exit package comes amid broader scrutiny of executive pay and spending in Utah. Earlier this year, state auditors released a scathing report finding “patterns of financial noncompliance” among university leaders and staff at Utah State University and poor oversight by the Utah Board of Higher Education. Though that report did not name former Utah State president Elizabeth Cantwell, it refers to runaway spending on her watch, when plans to renovate the presidential office ballooned from $10,000 to $300,000, including a $750 bidet.