University of Cincinnati President Santa Ono just gave away his $200,000 bonus to students and charities.
It’s the third year in a row the university chief has turned down his six-figure bonus and declined a raise.
Ono, who earns $525,000 a year, is not a top-earning college president compared to his peers. Last year there were 38 university presidents who received $1 million or more, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Ono turned down a bonus he was offered at the end of his first year as president in spring of 2013. Last year he asked that the $100,000 bonus he was offered be given to various funds to help students and faculty members.
This year he’s passing along a lot of his bonus to scholarships and other student and faculty programs at the University of Cincinnati, as well as to local high schools and charities.
Ono also gave $10,000 to the family of of slain Cincinnati police officer Sonny Kim, who was killed in the line of duty last week.
The donations were disclosed at Tuesday’s meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees.
“This may sound crazy, but it’s hard for us when someone turns down a raise,” Board President Tom Humes said, according to media reports. “But we’ve learned that the way to satisfy President Ono is to give him the ability to help others. It’s not to help him. We heartily endorse his decision.”
Ono also helped out students by requesting that the board keep tuition and fees unchanged for the upcoming 2015-16 school year.