As the campus community begins to contemplate who will succeed University of Wisconsin Chancellor John Wiley, questions will inevitably arise about what sort of qualities we should look for in such a leader. Some students demand a chancellor who is more forthcoming with diversity efforts and supportive of student governance. Administrators typically look for someone who will treat this university as a competitive business, one that must keep up with fundraising and budgetary lobbying in order to maintain quality research and education.

While outlining the qualities of whoever fills Mr. Wiley's shoes is essential to the process, one aspect of the position itself is in need of attention: the salary.

Last month, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported Mr. Wiley's salary totaled $341,495, including his retirement package and other benefits. This pales in comparison to salaries of other public university chancellors, eight of whom receive more than $700,000. For example, Purdue University President Martin Jischke makes $880,950 a year and Ohio State University President Karen Holbrook makes $758,700 — both of which are more than double the current UW salary. These are precisely the sort of schools that UW should be more than able to compete with.

Now is the perfect time for a change.

The exodus of some prestigious professors and hesitation of prospective administrative candidates has shown that the size of their paychecks is a major factor in whether they decide to work at this university. The situation has become so dire that state legislators passed a $10 million retention package to keep top professors at this university.

While the lesser offices of UW administration may vary in terms of usefulness, the office of the chancellor is the single most important position at this university. If Mr. Wiley's own estimates of fundraising are correct — roughly $1 million a day — then the next chancellor will have a heavy burden to carry. We cannot assume the best available candidate will be willing to take on this continuing challenge when other universities can offer far more lucrative compensation for similar responsibilities.

Before we begin debating the qualities we need in a chancellor, we need to make sure we can attract one with whatever those qualities might be. For that reason, the UW System Board of Regents should either reallocate or increase administrative funding to the UW-Madison chancellorship to ensure that the next head of this university is chosen because of his or her ability to lead, and not a willingness to settle for a smaller paycheck.