Private university presidents are paid big salaries for their fund-raising prowess. If a guy can bring in hundreds of millions in new money, a couple of million for his salary is a small price to pay.
What do these public-school presidents do? Any money-raising?
Yes I think a good number of public college and university presidents are involved with fund raising as well, not just from the legislature but also wealthy and not so wealthy alumni, local businesses and so forth.
Some of their fund raising may be simply getting a large business to donate the money for artificial turf for the sports fields.
Yes, they all try to raise money. My college Dean spends most of his time trying to shake the trees for more cash. That was a condition of his hiring.