Robert Caret
Robert L. Caret | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 7, 1947 |
| Occupation(s) | President, University of Massachusetts |
Robert L. Caret (born October 7, 1947)[1] is the president of the University of Massachusetts system. He was elected to serve as the 24th president of the UMass system on January 13, 2011. Caret had previously served as faculty, dean, and provost at Towson for 21 years before assuming the presidency of San José State University in 1995, then returning to serve as the 12th president of Towson University in 2003.
Education
Born in Biddeford, Maine to a restaurant owner, Caret was the first in his family to attend college.[2] Caret received his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of New Hampshire in 1974 and his bachelor's degree in chemistry and mathematics from Suffolk University in 1969. He received an honorary doctor of humane letters degree from San Jose University in 2004 and the National Hispanic University in 1997. He also received an honorary doctor of science degree from Suffolk University in 1996. On January 13, 2011, Caret was selected to be the 26th president of the University of Massachusetts.
Career
Caret became president of San Jose State University in February 1995.[2]
Awards and recognition
Named as one of Silicon Valley's 100 power brokers by San Jose Magazine in its May 2003 issue, Caret has been credited with raising the profile of one of the largest universities in California and developing strong community partnerships. Upon returning to Maryland, President Caret has become a founding member of the Maryland Business Council in 2004 and serves as a member of the board of directors of the CollegeBound Foundation. He was elected for a three-year term to the Board of Directors of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) and will also serve as the AASCU representative to the American Council on Education Board during the same time period.
Caret has made numerous presentations and published professionally in the fields of chemistry, chemical education and higher education. He has authored chapters in two monographs on the mission and role of institutions, and has co-authored and published four textbooks in the fields of organic chemistry and allied health chemistry. His awards and recognitions include the State of Maryland Governor's Employee Incentive Award, the San José Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce Leadership in Excellence Award (1999), the Italian American Heritage Foundation Achievement Award (2001) and the Outstanding College President Award from the All-American Football Foundation (2001). He is also listed in several editions of "Who's Who in America".
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
In 1997 Caret and Former San José Mayor Susan Hammer discussed the idea of creating a joint library to benefit the city of San Jose and San Jose State University. The resulting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library opened in August 2003 and became the first ever university and city joint library in the United States. Additionally the library is the largest west of the Mississippi, boasting 8 stories plus a mezzanine and serves over 1 million people every year. Caret and Hammer's vision has been praised all over the world and now looked at as a model for interactions between universities and cities to meet each other's needs.
U. Mass compensation controversy
When details of Caret's presidential compensation at the University of Massachusetts were made public, it sparked complaints among faculty, students, and some Massachusetts lawmakers.[3] Caret’s employment agreement guarantees him a six-month sabbatical if he remains on the job for three years and a yearlong sabbatical if he stays for five years. Caret earns $425,000, but his contract calls for raises of $25,000 in each of the next two years.
The contract also provides for a $60,000 housing allowance, a $63,750 retirement annuity, an additional $250,000 in deferred compensation set aside over the next three years, and annual performance bonuses of up to 15 percent of his salary.
If Caret joins the UMass faculty after his presidency, he will make at least three-fourths of his presidential salary in his first year as a professor and at least half after that. If Caret is fired without cause, he would be entitled to the remainder of his salary under his employment pact, the right to become a full-time faculty member at UMass Lowell at a reduced salary, and to take any sabbatical he has earned.[4]
References
- ^ Date information sourced from Library of Congress Authorities data, via corresponding WorldCat Identities linked authority file (LAF).
- ^ a b Bartindale, Becky (December 9, 2002). "San Jose State president credited with putting university on map". Archived from the original on December 20, 2002.
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/02/04/new_umass_president_like_predecessor_in_line_for_sabbatical_at_full_pay/
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2012/02/04/new_umass_president_like_predecessor_in_line_for_sabbatical_at_full_pay/
- Presidential Biographies - Towson Archives
- Picture and Information Source - Caret's Towson University Profile
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