1. Mississippi University for Women seeks to provide annual salary increases for both faculty and staff when financial conditions permit.  In determining salary increases the University is guided by the policies and guidelines of the Board of Trustees of  State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL).  Changes in the cost of living are taken into account to the degree permitted by IHL policies and guidelines.

2. Each faculty member who is promoted in rank will receive a salary increase at the time the promotion becomes effective.

3. Merit increases for faculty members will be based on the following criteria, as documented in the annual faculty evaluations since the last merit raise opportunity:

a. excellence in teaching and advising,
b. quality and extent of scholarly and professional activities, and
c. quality and extent of service to the faculty member’s division and the University.

4. Equity adjustments may be made in either of the following circumstances:

a. when analysis of salaries indicates that the salary of one or more faculty members at MUW is below the range of similarly situated faculty members at the institution after market considerations, such as variations among academic disciplines, have been taken into account; or
b. when considerations of time since last salary increase, amount of last salary increase, inflation rate(s), and local economic conditions indicate a need for a broad-based equity increase.
 

5. Market adjustments may be made when analysis of salaries indicates that the salary of one or more faculty members at MUW is below the market range for similarly situated faculty members at other institutions and a market adjustment is necessary for recruitment and retention of highly qualified faculty.  In determining market value, consideration should be given to compensation for equivalent professional skills in master’s level institutions within the region served by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), to compensation within the same or similar disciplines within the MUW faculty, and to compensation for equivalent professional skills in the private sector.

6. As part of the annual budgeting process, when the President, in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer, determines that sufficient funds are available for salary increases, the President will also determine the total dollar amount to be designated for faculty salary increases.

7.  a. When funds are designated for merit increases, each division head will have responsibility for recommending the dollar amount of merit increase for each faculty member in the division,  with the exception that the Chief Academic Officer will recommend the dollar amount of merit increases for division heads and other faculty members whose duties require them to report directly to the Chief Academic Officer.

b. Merit increases will be based on the annual faculty evaluations since the last merit raise opportunity.  The Chief Academic Officer will determine and communicate to the faculty a percentage range, no greater than 1 percent from the mean, within which the division heads may recommend merit increases for satisfactory performance without written justification.  Merit increases outside the specified range, either higher or lower, must be justified in writing by the division head with reference to performance noted in the faculty member’s most recent annual evaluation.  For division heads and other faculty members reporting directly to the chief academic officer (CAO), the CAO will recommend merit increases in accordance with the procedures and principles stated above.

8. Equity or market increases for individual faculty members may be recommended in writing by division heads or the chief academic officer.  Specific justifications, with reference to comparative data, must be provided to support the recommendations.

9. Division heads’ recommendations for salary increases will be reviewed by the chief academic officer, who will make a recommendation in writing to the President. The chief academic officer will discuss with the concerned division head any divergence between the CAO’s proposed recommendations and the recommendations of the division head and will seek to reach agreement with the division head before making recommendations to the President.  If agreement is not reached, the chief academic officer will document reasons why the division head’s salary increase recommendations were not accepted at his/her level.  A copy of this documentation will be forwarded to faculty through their division head.

10. After due consideration of recommendations from division heads and the chief academic officer, the President will decide the amount of salary increase for each faculty member and will communicate the amount to the faculty member.

11. Increases in salary allocations to unfilled faculty positions should be documented and justified.  The justification should be made available to faculty upon request.