Ryerson employees had a pocketful of ‘sunshine’ in 2020

By Sara Alves Fernandes

Ryerson had more employees than ever on the public sector salary disclosure statement in 2020, more commonly known as the “Sunshine List,” which was released on March 19.

Every year, the provincial government releases a list of all public sector employees, including college and university faculty, who have earned more than $100,000 in the previous year. 

The government discloses the person’s name, company and salary. The list also reveals the tax benefits they gain in addition to their salary. The tax benefits include bonuses, transit passes, vehicles provided by the employer and other advantages.   

Ryerson has a total of 1,448 employees on the list this year, a 6.3 per cent increase from 2019, with 282 new faculty members added.

The average salary of all Ryerson faculty is $153,100, which is $577 less than it was in 2019.

Of those 1,448 Ryerson employees on the list, 194 are making above $200,000—approximately 40 per cent of those individuals are from marginalized groups including the racialized and LGBTQ2SIA+ community. 

Ryerson president Mohamed Lachemi continues to be the highest paid Ryerson employee, making $427,472.19 in 2020—a 4.1 per cent pay raise from his previous salary of $410,475 which he had maintained since 2016. 

He also earned $47,044.45 in benefits, raising his total pay in 2020 to $475,516.64. 

Ian Mishkel, Ryerson’s vice-president, university advancement and alumni relations, was the second highest paid person and one of five Ryerson employees to earn over $300,000 in 2020.

The three other employees include interim provost and vice-president, academic, Saeed Zolfaghari; general counsel, secretary of the Board of Governors and university privacy officer Julia Shin Doi; and Steven Liss, Ryerson’s vice-president, research and innovation.

Psychology professor Candice Monson was Ryerson’s highest paid professor this year, earning $298,406.60, with $1,130.48 in tax benefits. 

The university’s highest-paid dean is Daphne Taras, who heads the Ted Rogers School of Management. In 2020, she made $299,010 with $1,130.48 in benefits.

Other Ryerson employees listed in the salary disclosure are from various parts of the university such as tech support, faculty and administration.

You can search the full Sunshine List here.