Former provost Steve Hoch will now teach history at the WSU Tri-Cities branch campus beginning in January, The Daily Evergreen learned Monday.

Hoch was originally slated to return to Pullman as a Russian history professor making $245,000 a year.

The university has yet to make an official announcement about the move.

Hoch has not been provost since Oct. 31, when President Elson S. Floyd officially relieved him of those duties. In September, Hoch expressed unhappiness with the provost position, and had a physical altercation with another administrator. He has said he looks forward to returning to teaching.

The unusually high salary comes from a now-discontinued stipulation in administrative contracts. The stipulation gave Hoch nine-elevenths of his former salary if he took a faculty position.

Hoch’s salary will now come from the WSU Tri-Cities budget rather than the WSU Pullman College of Liberal Arts budget, said Paul Whitney, interim dean of the college. He said he heard about the decision from Provost Warwick Bayly a few weeks ago.

“All the details are still being worked out,” Whitney said.

Bayly, who succeeded Hoch, was unavailable for comment. Bayly has agreed to serve as provost for at least two years.

At WSU Tri-Cities, Hoch will make more than Chancellor Vicky Carwein’s salary of $218,000. The average liberal arts instructor at the campus makes $58,000.

WSU Tri-Cities marketing manager Melissa O’Neil Perdue said the branch campus was told several weeks ago the move was under discussion. She said campus administrators haven’t yet decided how to budget for Hoch’s salary.

It is unclear how the move will affect an already strained budget at the branch campus. Cutbacks at the state and university levels have hurt hiring programs and other expenses at nearly all stages of the WSU network.

Carwein said the branch campus is planning to have Hoch teach this spring.

“We’re going to do everything we can to make sure this is a smooth transition,” she said.

At WSU Tri-Cities, Hoch will teach one section in History 469, Seminar in History. Besides Hoch, WSU Tri-Cities already employs at least one Russian history expert, Brigit Farley.

Because of Tuesday’s holiday, administrators in the history department at the WSU Pullman campus could not be reached.

A call to Hoch’s cell phone was not returned as of press time.