Faculty Salary Adjustment Program

Each year the Faculty Salary and Budget Committee (FSBC) recommends to the University Academic Senate (UAS) how funds should be made available for faculty salary increases. The salary increase process is described in a Faculty Salary Adjustment Program Document which is distributed to faculty members each year.

Questions about the process should be directed to the unit head. Suggestions for improving the process should be communicated to the college’s representative on the Faculty Salary and Budget Committee.

Fund Allocation

The Board of Trustees approves annually an increase in funds available for salary increments.

There are three separate funds that support the Faculty Salary Adjustment Program. The Merit Fund and the Special Salary Adjustment Fund are comprised of a percentage of salaries for merit recognition and special adjustments. This fund is standardly allocated as 85% to the Merit Fund and 15% to the Special Salary Adjustment Fund. The Provost will review special adjustment needs to determine if a slight modification of the percent of allocation to these two funds is required before final allocations occur. The Promotional Increment Fund is a separate fund based on anticipated number of promotions that will occur in a given year.

The Merit Fund is calculated as a percent of the base salary of all current faculty. This fund is to be used exclusively for merit adjustments (see Sections 4-6 below). Appointing officers make recommendations to the Provost on the distribution of this fund. All funds allocated should be expended in the salary adjustment process.

The Special Salary Adjustment Fund is assigned to the Provost for special salary adjustment, which is used for market and equity adjustments and extraordinary performance (see Section 3 below). This fund should not exceed 15% of the Merit Fund unless designated for a clearly defined purpose.

The Promotional Increment Fund is allocated to the Provost for faculty promotions. The amount of the fund is based on the number of faculty promoted and the current promotional increments (see Section 8 below).

2.     Range of Salary Adjustments from the Merit Fund

Recommendations for individual salary adjustments from the appointing officer to the Provost must fall within the following ranges. These ranges should be based on performance over the preceding academic year; however, in special situations, an aggregate of years may be used with rationale provided by the appointing officer. The merit increase is determined by the percentage category in the appropriate range below, multiplied by the percentage increase of the Merit Fund (described in Section 1 above). For example: 70% based on the category assigned for satisfactory performance *3.0 Merit Fund percentage increase = 2.10% merit increase.

a.  Less than satisfactory performance: 0 to 55%.
b.  Satisfactory performance: 70% to 100%.
c.  Exemplary performance: 105+% to 140%.

The appointing officer may also make requests for special salary adjustments (see Section 3.c below) to the Provost, to be funded by the Special Salary Adjustment Fund.

3.  Guidelines for Increments

a.  Appointing officers are required to recommend salary adjustments to the Provost for the distribution of the Merit Funds. The appointing officer will consider the summary of peer evaluations (see Section 5 below) as the most important factor in determining the recommendation.

b.  The Provost will consider individual salary adjustment issues that cannot be resolved by the merit process.

The Special Salary Adjustment Fund assigned to the Provost is intended to address outstanding performance, extraordinary circumstances, and market or equity conditions. These are allocated based on written requests from appointing officers for salary adjustments that cannot be resolved by the Merit Fund, as well as cases identified by the Provost that require special adjustment. In making these adjustments, the Provost must consider salary compression as an important factor.

4.  Evaluation Criteria. Evaluation criteria for faculty performance reviews are specified in the Board of Trustees' Policies BOT 4.2.9.

5.  Unit Peer Evaluation

Peer evaluation is part of the salary adjustment process.

a.  Every member of a unit will be given the opportunity to evaluate colleagues based on the evaluation criteria unless a two-thirds majority of the faculty vote each year to waive that option and implement alternative procedures. This decision must be communicated in writing to the appointing officer by the end of fall semester.

b.  The unit head will collect relevant Faculty Workload Plans, Faculty Workload Reports, and current vitae not later than February 1. The faculty member is responsible for submitting these materials in a timely manner to permit peer evaluation to take place.

c.  The unit head is responsible for distribution of these materials corresponding to the evaluation criteria in a timely manner to enable peer evaluation to take place.

d.  The unit head will summarize peer evaluations and forward such summary to the appointing officer. However, faculty evaluations of the unit head will be sent directly to the appointing officer.

e.  If peer evaluation does not take place, and alternative procedures have not been agreed upon, the unit head will evaluate each faculty member against the evaluation criteria and transmit a recommendation to the appointing officer.

6.  Communication with faculty

a.   Written Performance Summary/Meeting with Faculty Members

By the end of the winter semester/term, each faculty member will receive a written performance summary from the unit head that includes:

i. The unit head’s summary of peer evaluations (or the unit head’s recommendations if peer evaluation is not done).

ii.   A discussion of the faculty member’s performance in teaching (or professional effectiveness for librarians), scholarship, service, and the significant focus commitment from the Faculty Workload Plan.

iii.     A discussion of any departmental concerns regarding contract renewal, tenure, or promotion for untenured faculty.

iv.     The annual performance category that the faculty member was assigned.

After the written performance summary has been completed, the unit head will make themselves available to meet with each faculty member to discuss performance during the past year. This meeting will occur ordinarily before the end of the winter semester/term.

b.   Justification Required

i.    For tenured faculty members, written justification is not required for recommendations within the satisfactory range. However, appointing officers must prepare a written justification to the Provost to accompany salary adjustment recommendations in the ranges for less than satisfactory performance and exemplary performance.

ii.   For tenure-track faculty members who are untenured, written justification is required for recommendations in all ranges. Appointing officers must provide a written justification to the Provost to accompany all salary adjustment recommendations, a copy of which needs to be provided to each faculty member ordinarily by the end of the winter semester/term.

iii.   All special salary adjustments require written justification which shall be shared with the chairs of ECS and FSBC upon request.

c.   Annual Salary Letter

i.    The annual salary letter will communicate both the percent and actual dollar amount of the total faculty salary adjustment as compared to the previous year. This letter will be available in Workday once the Board of Trustees has approved the upcoming fiscal year budget. Human Resources will alert faculty when the salary letter is able to be viewed in Workday.

ii.    The annual salary letter will communicate the salary adjustment breakdown for each category received merit, promotional increment, and special salary adjustments.  Special salary adjustments will include the breakdown for market, compression, equity or exemplary performance.

7.  Appeals.

Faculty who disagree with the salary adjustment may appeal using pertinent supporting material according to the procedure specified in the Board of Trustees' Policies BOT 4.2.18 .

8.  Promotional increments.

As provided in the Board of Trustees' Policies BOT 4.2.20, faculty who are promoted will receive, in addition to their regular salary increase, the indicated promotion increment or no less than the minimum of the salary range of the new rank if the combination of the regular increase and the promotion increment fall below the minimum salary established for each rank.

Promotion to:

Assistant Professor    $1,000
Associate Professor   $5,000
Full Professor             $6,500
 

September 12, 2024 - adjusted layout

July 30, 2024 - SG 3.08 amended per Provost memo of July 30, 2024

June 29, 2022 - Changed Faculty Activity Plan to Faculty Workload Plan; Changed Faculty Activity Report to Faculty Workload Report

May 10, 2019  - SG 3.08 amended per Provost memo of April 15, 2019

January 7, 2019 - FH 3.06 retitled SG 3.08

May 30, 2018 Salaries - word added to function as keyword for searches

May 30, 2018salaries - word added to function as keyword for searches