FAYETTEVILLE — Chris Wyrick accepted the University of Arkansas’ offer to headits fundraising and public-relations arm the same day he was offered the position, university records show.

Fayetteville campus Chancellor G. David Gearhart offered Wyrick the position as vice chancellor for the Advancement Division on Monday and Wyrick accepted, though the offer was good until today, according to Wyrick’s letter of appointment.

The university released the appointment letter Thursday along with more hiring and compensation details a dayafter Gearhart announced Wyrick would move from his current post as executive director of the Razorback Foundation, the university’s athletics fundraising organization, to the new position.

The appointment letter leaves Wyrick’s start date open for now, calling it “effective on or before July 1, 2013.”

The 12-month appointment is for a nontenured position, according to the letter.

On Wednesday, Gearhart said that once Wyrick has worked out a transition plan with the Razorback Foundation’s board and staff, the university could settle on his start date.

UA said Wednesday that Wyrick’s salary would be $279,000 but didn’t release full details on his compensation. According to the appointment letter, $279,000 isthe “base salary.”

The Fayetteville campus’s chief spokesman, John Diamond, added Thursday that Wyrick’s salary is made up of $273,181 in public money as well as a private supplement of $5,819 from the University of Arkansas Foundation.

UA’s public funding is derived from taxpayer-financed state appropriations and students’ tuition and fees.

Diamond, the campus’s associate vice chancellor for university relations, noted that the position of vice chancellor for advancement is among those often supplemented with private funds if the desired salary exceeds the “line item maximum” the Legislature sets.

Wyrick’s $273,181 publicly funded salary amount is identical to that of the person he’ll replace, Brad Choate, who UA officials have said currently earns $273,181 from publicsources. But Choate gets a $74,994 private supplement, bringing his total salary to $348,175.

In early December, Gearhart said the university had reassigned Choate and Choate’s budget officer after an internal inquiry found the Advancement Division had overspent its $10 million budget by more than $3 million.

The chancellor also decided to let Choate and the budget officer continue their employment with the university through June 30, after which he would not renew their respective appointments.

Gearhart has said Choate’s employment could continue until June 30 or until he found another job, and that he needed Choate’s help with a major capital campaign. Both men confirmed Wednesday that Choate was still working for the university.

Other benefits Wyrick will receive include a $1,000 monthly car allowance paid from private funds. The UA Foundation will pay Wyrick’s country club dues, a standard benefit for a chief fundraiser whose duties including courting potential donors.

There are no deferredcompensation provisions for Wyrick, Diamond said Thursday.

Fringe benefits can be decided up to 31 days after the eventual appointment date, the letter says, as there are some optional choices and eligibility requirements to navigate. A satisfactory background check also is required.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/15/2013