PS #1313
TITLE: Criteria and Procedures for Faculty Salary Increases
AUTHOR: Faculty Senate
APPROVAL DATE: June 14, 2006
EFFECTIVE DATE:  June 14, 2006
PURPOSE:  To establish criteria and procedures for faculty salary increases.
REVIEWER AND Provost, Academic Council and Faculty Senate
REVIEW DATE: Annually in January
OPERATING DETAILS:

1.      Mississippi University for Women seeks to provide annual salary increases for faculty 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 criteria for promotion and tenure, as documented in the annual faculty evaluations since the last merit raise opportunity.  These criteria are stated in PS 1303 and 1304.

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 dean/director will have responsibility for recommending the dollar amount of merit increase for each faculty member in the unit.

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, typically no greater than 1 percent from the mean, within which the dean/director 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 dean/director with reference to performance noted in the faculty member’s most recent annual evaluations since the last merit raise opportunity.  For deans/directors 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 a dean, director or the chief academic officer.  Specific justifications, with reference to comparative data, must be provided to support the recommendations.

9.      The recommendations for salary increases submitted by each dean/director 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 appropriate dean/director any divergence between the CAO’s proposed recommendations and the recommendations dean/director and will seek to reach agreement with the dean/director before making recommendations to the President.  If agreement is not reached, the chief academic officer will document reasons why the dean/directors salary increase recommendations were not accepted at his/her level.  A copy of this documentation will be forwarded to faculty through their dean/director.

10.  After due consideration of recommendations from the deans/directors 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.

*The policy allows the administration to determine areas of emphasis, i.e., merit, equity, market. 

Revised:  08/14/03, 06/14/06