Stefani Hicswa

Former Northwest College President Stefani Hicswa is receiving a salary increase of more than 25% in her new job as chancellor of Montana State University-Billings, though she surrendered $36,000 in retention bonuses by leaving NWC prior to June 30.

According to the offer letter Hicswa signed with MSU-B, her salary at the university is $250,000; Hicswa’s contract with NWC, signed in 2018, provided a salary of $199,000.

Additionally, the NWC contract granted a retention incentive of $10,000 for 2018-2019, $12,000 for 2019-2020, and $14,000 for 2020-2021. However, the contract terms stated that none of those bonuses would be paid if Hicswa resigned before June 30, 2021.

In October, Hicswa announced she’d be leaving for MSU-B, and her last day at NWC was Jan. 8. (Northwest College would have paid further retention bonuses totaling $72,000 if Hicswa had remained as president through June 2028.)

MSU-B is also providing its new chancellor a residence, whereas Hicswa’s NWC contract provided a housing allowance of $22,000 annually. Each contract provides her a car, as well as fringe benefits.

Hicswa served as NWC president since 2013. Prior to updates in her 2018 contract, she was the lowest-paid college president in the state. 

NWC Interim President Lisa Watson signed a one-year contract with a salary of $194,000. It also provides a car and fringe benefits, but it does not contain any support for housing. The college will hire a permanent president this year, and so Watson’s contract contains no retention bonuses.