May 17, 2007
Faculty salaries closing gap; staff, librarians also to get increases
The Board of Regents will be reviewing today (Thursday) a draft operating budget for fiscal year 2008 that includes salary increases for faculty, professional staff and librarians that are well above those provided from funds allocated by the State Legislature.
The UW operating budget, which will be formally adopted by the Regents at the board’s June meeting, will use local resources “to bring salaries closer to those of our peer institutions,” Provost Phyllis Wise said.
The state had allocated funds that would permit increases of 3.2 percent on average for faculty, librarians and professional staff. The UW administration is proposing that professional staff and librarians receive increases of 4.5 percent on average, effective Sept. 1 of this year. These increases would be based upon merit.
The faculty base budget for salaries will increase approximately 6.2 percent. Of this amount, 4.5 percent will be available in all units as merit increases — 2 percent for regular merit and 2.5 percent to address issues of compression, retention and extraordinary merit. An additional 2 percent is being earmarked for faculty in units who are most behind their peers in other institutions. This becomes available through a 1 per-cent central allocation matched by a 1 percent allocation at the college-level. Projections indicate that this will decrease the gap between UW faculty salaries and those of the UW’s peer institutions to about 2 to 2.5 percent
Research and teaching assistants would receive a 3.2 percent increase effective July 1, under the terms of a negotiated contract.
Represented classified staff will receive a 3.2 percent cost of living increase effective July 1 and in addition, market adjustments are provided for job classifications below 80 percent of market, under the terms of a negotiated contract. Represented classified staff who are not at the top step of their classification receive annual two-step pay increases of 5 percent in addition to cost of living increases.
Non-represented classified staff will receive a 3.2 percent cost of living increase effective Sept. 1 and market adjustments for classifications below 80 percent of market. Non-represented classified staff not at the top step of their classification receive annual two-step increases of 5 percent in addition to cost of living increases.
The UW administration also is proposing the creation of a $500,000 fund for faculty recruitment and $250,000 for recruitment and retention of professional staff and librarians.
To listen to President Emmert’s “Office Hours” discussion of the legislative session, go to http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=16104&fID=2425
