LARAMIE - University of Wyoming President Tom Buchanan graduated from Friday's final board of trustees meeting of the school year with a $50,000 raise.

Following closed sessions, the trustees boosted the former UW recreation professor's base salary to $350,000 for the second year of his four-year contract which extends through June 2011.

The 16.7 percent increase follows a 30 percent raise given to Buchanan at this time last year when he signed the multiyear agreement.

Buchanan's contract also includes an annual $42,000 housing allowance, an estimated $6,000 for use of a UW vehicle and insurance, and 22 working days of vacation annually.

Buchanan, then 53, became the 23rd president of UW on July 1, 2005. He had worked at the university for 26 years as a faculty member and administrator, moving up to academic affairs vice president to acting president and then to president when two other finalists in a nationwide search withdrew from consideration.

He earned a bachelor of science degree from the State University of New York, a master's of science from UW, and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Buchanan said he was "most pleased by the vote of confidence that the board has placed in my leadership and vision for the university."

Outgoing trustees' President Dick Davis of Sheridan cited the large research grants received during the past year from industry sources as one of the reasons for the board's action.

"Under his leadership the university has made advances academically while strengthening its relationships with its many constituencies," Davis said.