The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) established a Joint Committee on Equity and Floors “charged with creating policies and procedures for guiding the distribution of equity pool money and establishing floors for NTTF salaries.” After months of work the University and United Academics (UA) have reached agreement on salary floors for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty (NTTF), and on salary equity increases for Tenure-Track Faculty (TTF). This post describes the TTF equity increases agreement, with a separate post describing the NTTF salary floors agreement.
TTF Equity Increases
The equity process for Fiscal Year 15 addresses internal salary compression and salary inversion for current tenure-track faculty. This increase in base salaries will be effective July 1, 2014. Department and unit heads will have 1.5% of their total TTF bargaining unit members salary base allocated for equity increases.
The process is expected to begin in the departments and units immediately and to be completed in time to be effective July 1, 2014.
Definitions
Salary Compression: When the range of salaries among full-time faculty at the same academic rank does not vary appropriately in relation to years of relevant service and/or possession of a terminal degree.
Salary Inversion: When a faculty member who has less relevant service, or who holds a lower academic rank, is earning a higher salary than a faculty member who has more relevant service and/or holds a higher academic rank.
Process
- Department and unit heads, with guidance from the appropriate dean and in consultation with faculty, will develop brief criteria for identifying equity issues and awarding equity increases in their units. Merit evaluations from the latest merit review process may be used. Faculty who met or exceeded expectations in 2 out of 3 categories (Research, Teaching, Service) in that review process will be eligible for equity increases. Each proposed department and unit criteria will be sent to the appropriate dean for approval.
- Department and units will follow approved department or unit level policies to propose equity increases addressing documented cases of compression and inversion.
- Inversion or compression in comparison with others in the same or in other similar departments must be demonstrated in order for an equity increase to be approved. Faculty in small departments where comparable data may be lacking may use salary data from similar units in order to document inversion and compression. Decisions regarding equity adjustments for faculty with joint appointments should take into consideration the conditions in their multiple units to the extent possible.
- Department and unit heads will document, justify, and forward all salary equity decisions to the appropriate dean.
- The deans will document approval of and any proposed revisions to the department and unit recommendations and forward their recommendations to the provost or designee.
- A list of all decisions regarding equity adjustments, including the justifications for approving, increasing, or decreasing equity amounts, will be shared with United Academics.
- Equity adjustments will be made in dollar amounts and added to the base salary of the identified faculty members effective July 1, 2014.
More information is available on the Academic Affairs Implementation Resources website.
