Mahony’s contracts reveal 2020 departure

President Dan Mahony’s contracts reveal that his last contract was set to expire in 2020, not 2019 as stated in a resolution from the Board of Trustees. 

Mahony’s contracts were released to The Johnsonian on Tuesday after a Freedom of Information Request was filed in November. The Secretary to the Board of Trustees, Dr. Kimberly Faust, required that an FOI request be filed to access the documents.  

However, Bill Rogers, the executive director of the South Carolina Press Association, said that the contracts are public record. 

The Johnsonian requested all related documents regarding Dr. Mahony’s continued employment at Winthrop. This included informal notes, meeting notes and emails between trustees from the last two months. 

Along with the four employment agreements, agendas for Board of Trustees meetings were released. Meeting notes were not available under FOIA because meeting minutes have not yet been published and “official minutes are not taken while a board or committee is in executive session,” according to Caroline Overcash, the director of internal audit and compliance for Winthrop. 

Informal notes and emails between trustees were not released because the email accounts of the trustees are not part of the Winthrop system. Trustees also indicated that there are no such documents regarding the president’s contract in the last two months. 

Agendas for board meetings reveal that they were scheduled to discuss “employment matters involving certain university employees and proposed contractual matters” on Oct. 2 during executive session. 

On Oct. 24, the agenda item pops up again, but this time refers to “certain present university employees.”

A special meeting of the Board of Trustees was announced on Dec. 9; the only item on the agenda is again, discussion of  “employment matters of certain university employees.” 

Mahony’s original contract from 2015 states that his term of employment could automatically be extended by another year after his second year, unless either party—the board or Mahony—give at least a 90 day written notice. This window of notification drops from 90 days to 30 days in his 2018 contract.

A resolution from the board that was released on June 23, 2017, announced Mahony’s extension to June 30, 2019. This marks the last time there is a resolution mentioning Mahony’s contract. 

But in his 2019 contract—signed in May and without a resolution—the “term of appointment; renewal” section changes completely, and mentions for the first time the possibility of Mahony’s contract not being renewed. This is the contract that Mahony referenced during the November Faculty Conference. This agreement extended his contract to June 30, 2020. 

“In the event the term of employment is not extended beyond June 30, 2020, the Board will not initiate a public search for a new President until either (a) June 30, 2020, or (b) the President obtains a position at another institution of higher education or other employer, whichever occurs first; provided, however, that this provision shall not be interpreted to limit the Board’s ability to communicate internally and privately regarding appointment of an interim President,” the contract states. 

The board released a statement on Dec. 3, announcing that Mahony obtained a position at another institution of higher education: Southern Illinois University System. 

Mahony will be leaving Winthrop in March, 2020 to become the president of SIU, where he will oversee two campuses and a student body of 28,000. 

He will receive a $435,000 salary, according to The Southern Illinoisan.

Mahony’s official salary was reported at roughly $183,000. While this figure is correct, the Winthrop Foundation, the school’s nonprofit, supplement’s the president’s salary.

In 2018, Mahony received a supplement of $220,560 through the Winthrop Foundation. He was also paid his state salary of $180,960. In total, Mahony received $401,520 in compensation in 2018.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect new information about Mahony’s salary.