PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Former state legislator, lieutenant governor and congressman Robert Weygand will be leaving his top-level post at the University of Rhode Island -- for a new role on the faculty -- with a $51,707 payment for "unused vacation'' time.
But he is not stepping down as URI's $208,710-a-year vice president for administration and finance as soon as he had anticipated. He had planned to leave that job on June 30.
With a search committee still in mid-search for his replacement, URI spokeswoman Linda Acciardo confirmed Monday that Weygand "was asked and agreed'' to stay on "until the position of vice president is filled, up until... [but] not beyond August 24.''
Once the new school year starts, he will step into a new $166,968-a-year role teaching six courses per year in the College of Arts and Sciences, directing the master of public administration program, and teaching honors courses.
"As a state employee with more than 20 years of service Weygand is entitled to continue working for the state," Acciardo explained last month. "His contract allows him to teach for three years and to earn 80 percent of his current salary of $208,710."
Employees moving to another, lower paying role are entitled to payouts for their unused vacation time. It was not immediately clear how many days of foregone vacation the $51,707.36 represents, but Acciardo anticipated the payout would be "in an upcoming check, possibly on the 19th or 8/2 (biweekly payroll).''
As for the search for his successor, Acciardo said the company hired to conduct the search is still screening candidates.
The state has paid Korn/Ferry International $228,000 so far "to identify potential qualified candidates" to replace both Weygand and Peter Alfonso, the vice president of research and economic development.