“I hope it’s a message that we all care about quality and cost,” she said.

Trustee Scott Romney, chairperson of the board’s compensation committee, said Simon’s performance, including her leadership and teamwork, should result in a “significant increase in her compensation.” However, the trustees took the president’s suggestion and did not recommend a pay raise for next year.

“At her suggestion and at our agreement, we’ve agreed to not have an increase in our president’s compensation at this time,” Romney said. “All of (the trustees) want to make certain that this is not a precedent and this is not a precedent for other people in the university, or particularly for her.”

At last year’s December meeting, the board agreed to give the president a $25,000 pay raise. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s survey published last month, Simon is currently seventh in the Big Ten in presidential compensation with a yearly salary of $572,000.

Simon said turning down a raise will not affect her and her husband Roy’s donations to the university.

“We continue to give back as well,” she said. “This is not instead of giving back.”