6.14—Salary Adjustments

Effective: 09/27/2013
Senate Proposal: No
Responsible University Officer: Vice President for Administration
Responsible Office: Human Resources

Policy Statement

Salaries are established and adjusted within available University resources as part of the overall compensation philosophy of providing competitive compensation, recognition, and rewards to attract, retain, and support faculty and staff.

Policy Requirements

Salary adjustments may be made for the following reasons:

• Annually or as determined by the President
• as part of the annual salary program, based on performance
• across-the-board adjustment
• Non-Annual
• promotion
• assignment of additional responsibilities
• equity adjustments to adjust for internal or outside salary conditions (market)
• an increase after the probationary hiring period, at the department's discretion
• a base salary adjustment and/or lump sum payment

Unless determined to be across the board, annual increases will be merit-based and integrated with the budget development process. All adjustments are contingent upon available funding.

Reason for Policy

Periodic salary adjustments are expected and encouraged in order to reflect the individual's performance and to recognize the changing market. Salary adjustments support the University's Strategic Plan, Goal 1: 1.1, which states the University will "provide competitive compensation, recognize and reward successful faculty and staff."

Related Policy Information

In order to ensure flexibility in providing salary adjustments based on an individual's merit, as part of the annual salary program or occasionally as part of a non-annual assessment or action, Senior Administrators have the option to provide one of the following:

• an increase on the base salary, or
• a one-time, lump sum payment, or
• a combination of one-time, lump sum payment in addition to increasing base salary.

A non-annual base salary adjustment and lump sum salary adjustment should not be an expectation, but may be made available to eligible employees when determined by the Senior Administrators that it is in the University's best interest to do so.

Refer to the following policies for other types of compensation: 6.06 Additional Compensation, 6.07 Exemplary Performance Bonus, 6.08 Signing Bonus, 6.09 Retention Bonus, and 6.10 Sponsored Funding Bonus.

Exclusions

Employees represented by a bargaining unit contract, under formal discipline, or who are short-term, casual, or seasonal employees are excluded from annual salary adjustments.

Contacts

Definitions

Across-the-Board Adjustment – An increase set by the President which is a percentage of base annual salary or flat dollar amount intended to be distributed equally among all eligible faculty and staff members.

Annual Salary Program – A set schedule where once a year, or as determined by the President, eligible employees with satisfactory performance receive an increase to their base salary, are given a lump sum payment, or a combination of the two.

Base Salary Adjustment – An increase to the institutional base salary. Does not include additional, bonus, or off-semester compensation.

Eligible Employee – Shall be determined by the President during the budget process, and generally will include all or a sub-set of regular, full- and/or part-time employees not represented by a bargaining unit contract.

Executive Team Member – Included in this category are all officers holding titles such as vice president, chief information officer, chief financial officer, president, or the equivalents.

Institutional Base Salary (IBS) – Annual compensation for an employee's appointment, whether that individual's time is spent on research, instruction, administration, or service. IBS does not include additional, bonus, or faculty summer compensation. IBS also excludes any income that an individual is permitted to earn outside of duties for the University.

Market Equity Adjustment – An increase to the institutional base salary given to an employee or an employee class in order to compete with comparable internal or outside salary conditions.

Merit Base Adjustment – An increase to the institutional base salary given to an employee in recognition of work performance. For this policy, it includes but is not limited to: accomplishment, value, and performance excellence which contribute to University goals.

Merit Lump Sum Payment – A one-time payment that does not reflect on the institutional base salary given to an employee in recognition of work performance. For this policy, it includes but is not limited to: accomplishment, value, and performance excellence which contribute to University goals.

Senior Administrators – Included in this category are all department chairs/selected directors/deans and executive team members.

Responsibilities

Director of Human Resources or Designee – Works in cooperation with the Budget Office during the annual salary adjustment process, collects and reviews salary adjustments, receives final approval from the President and ensures salary adjustments are processed accurately and timely.

Executive Team Member – Coordinates annual salary process for their direct reporting units; reviews salary worksheets, and recommends salary adjustments to the President.

President – Determines the schedule for the annual salary program and whether the salary adjustment will be across-the-board and it's percentage, or merit-based increases; determines eligibility for the annual salary program; and when required, reviews and authorizes salary adjustments.

Senior Administrators – Determines and recommends salary adjustments based on an individual's merit, as part of the annual salary program or occasionally as part of a non-annual assessment or action.

Appendices

• Appendix A - 2014-2015 Merit Adjustment Timeline

Adoption Date

Revisions