July 11, 2007
MEMORANDUM
TO: Deans, Directors, and Chairpersons
FROM: Kim Wilcox, Provost
SUBJECT: Academic Personnel Salary Adjustment Guidelines – 2007-08
Salary adjustments for faculty and academic staff were approved at 3.0 percent general merit. Additionally, a Faculty Competitive Position Fund totaling $1.7 million, to be administered at the college level, is targeted primarily for ranked faculty but open to all faculty and academic staff. As in the past, a market pool of 0.5 percent is established to retain talented faculty and academic staff. The market pool, to be administered by the Office of the Provost, is targeted primarily for ranked faculty, but open to all faculty and academic staff. As in past years, guidelines for the university-wide market pool will be distributed separately. All increases will be effective October 1, 2007.
Merit Basis
Raises will be distributed on the basis of merit. Adjustments for individuals should recognize relative merit in the performance of their duties across the university’s mission of teaching, research, and outreach. Unit administrators are expected to assure that individual performance is assessed through the appropriate peer review process, and that salary increase recommendations are differentiated based on merit assessment.
The Office of the Provost has consulted with the University Committee on Faculty Affairs (UCFA) on the salary adjustment guidelines in accordance with the Bylaws for Academic Governance. The UCFA believes that salary adjustments should be based on the concept of merit as reinforced by appropriate peer review. The UCFA and Academic Specialist Advisory Committee written recommendations are attached.
Guidelines for distribution of salary adjustments on the basis of merit will be developed at the unit level in accordance with the policy stated above (second paragraph). Primary unit administrators have responsibility for unit guidelines (2.1.2.1. Bylaws for Academic Governance), and must seek the advice of unit faculty in developing the guidelines.
In accordance with university policy, efforts to advance university objectives that are crosscutting and/or interdisciplinary must be recognized in the merit process along with contributions to the creation, transmission, application, and preservation of knowledge. This category includes efforts in areas such as university outreach, integrative studies, international activities, virtual university, and diversity, inclusion, and pluralism. In addition, consideration should be given for contributions such as service in academic governance, including grievance panels.
Consistent with past practice, research associates are considered to be part of the university’s academic staff and, therefore, should be treated in accordance with these guidelines. Further, faculty and academic staff with approved terminal consultantships and/or established retirement dates are eligible for salary adjustments based upon merit.
Faculty members are entitled to know the evaluation criteria and process by which they are being evaluated, as well as the connection between that evaluation and their merit raise. It is expected that an overall satisfactory evaluation based on peer review should warrant some salary increase, depending on the relative merit of the individual’s contributions. No faculty member is entitled to a merit increase based simply on meeting assignments; quality and impact of the performance must be the basis for the decision along with quantity of work. Adjustments should be based fully on merit and incorporate an appropriate form of peer review.
In determining salary increase recommendations, consideration must be given to assuring equitable and fair treatment for faculty and academic staff and must be consistent with merit and market considerations. A salary cohort analysis, based on April 2007 salary data for tenure system faculty, was distributed for review as part of the regular salary adjustment process. Also, the director of the Office for Inclusion and Intercultural Initiatives will continue to make an annual review of salary increase recommendations. We ask you to cooperate fully in the review. The director will share the responsibility for the analysis with the Office of the Provost; the Associate Provost and Associate Vice President for Academic Human Resources will follow up as necessary.
A decision to make no salary adjustment or a very low salary adjustment to an otherwise eligible individual may result from merit considerations. Deans are not required to submit written explanations of the rationale for any merit-based salary adjustment decision, but documentation (process and related individual documents) should be retained in the appropriate administrative office.
Faculty Competitive Position Fund
This fund recognizes the increasingly competitive environment in which MSU must function. The fund, totaling $1.7 million, is targeted for ranked faculty but available for all faculty and academic staff. In order for this program to be effective, the minimum award proposed should be $500 and the total number of individuals included should constitute no more than 50 percent of the ranked faculty in the college or MAU based on the 2007-08 raise list. It is to be administered at the college level on a merit basis to address long-term retention and market issues.
Deans Withhold
Generally, deans allocate salary adjustment funds to primary units in equal or approximately equal proportion. However, merit, promotions, and other considerations may require a differential distribution to units. This distribution is funded through a factor commonly referred to as the “Dean’s Withhold.” To the extent that such a factor is required in 2007-08, deans may withhold up to 0.15 percentage points and allocate it as an additional component of the Faculty Competitive Position Fund. It is anticipated that deans will apprise appropriate faculty advisory groups of the existence of the withhold and its intended use.
If deans depart from this guideline, the appropriate faculty advisory group and relevant unit administrator must be consulted, and the approach reviewed with the Office of the Provost prior to the distribution of funding to the units. Information about such procedures must be made available, if requested, to unit administrators and faculty.
Central Support for Promotions
Central support for promotional increments for tenure system faculty will be provided in 2007-08 at $2,000 per promotion from Assistant to Associate Professor and at $2,500 per promotion from Associate to Professor. For those appointed at the associate professor rank but without tenure, $2,000 will be provided upon receipt of tenure. Promotional increases for Senior Academic Specialists and continuing NSCL staff will be similarly recognized with central support of $1,000. If unit promotional policy exceeds the above funding, units are responsible for funding such increases through the raise list. Raise control figures may be exceeded by the amounts centrally provided for promotional increments.
Minimum Salary Levels
Minimum salary levels for designated groups have been updated for the 2007-08 period and should apply generally. Merit considerations, however, may result in a lower salary rate in individual cases.
Minimum Salary Guidelines: Tenure System Faculty (2007-08)
| Faculty Rank |
Academic Year |
Annual Year |
| Instructor |
$29,561 |
$36,256 |
| Assistant Professor |
$40,891 |
$50,676 |
| Associate Professor |
$47,998 |
$58,710 |
| Professor |
$55,002 |
$67,259 |