Members of the Professional and Scientific Council discussed a salary recommendation for FY13 at their Feb. 9 meeting, turning a draft motion over to the executive committee to refine and submit to university administrators.
The draft motion introduced by the compensation and benefits committee asked for a minimum salary increase of 1.75 percent for employees who received satisfactory performance appraisals. The recommendation also encouraged the use of the exceptional performance pay program and additional funds to address market and other equity needs.
Brenda Behling, assistant to the executive vice president and provost, reminded council members that fiscal planning now includes the new salary adjustment policy, which sets minimum and maximum percentage increases for both faculty and P&S staff.
"The administrative units are required to plan for the allocation of salary increases, and that's a new concept," Behling said. "Prior to that, we had salary bills that provided the funding."
Faculty Senate president Steve Freeman said the senate's resource policies and allocations council recommended a 1 percent minimum increase, with the expectation that departments would plan for additional merit increases (1 to 2 percent).
Dissatisfaction with the draft motion and a short turnaround time for its submission to administrators prompted the council's unanimous decision to send the recommendation to the executive committee for immediate work.
President-elect David Orman said the executive committee, which convened immediately after Thursday's council meeting, "settled on a 1 percent [minimum] recommendation." The recommendation was forwarded to the office of the executive vice president and provost. He said a revised draft motion likely will be approved at the Feb. 16 executive committee meeting and then forwarded to the University Budget Advisory Committee, which meets Feb. 27.
Other business
The council committees compiled lists of issues and priorities for a master "visioning list" that the executive committee plans to review over the coming weeks. Orman said the executive group will identify what items on the list to continue monitoring or move forward.
