Faculty, professional and scientific staff, contract employees and post docs with satisfactory performance evaluations this year will receive a minimum salary increase of 1 percent on July 1.
Earlier this week, President Steven Leath shared FY15 salary adjustment parameters with the three senior vice presidents for distribution to all units. The parameters are subject to final approval in June by the state Board of Regents.
Employees could receive higher increases, for better-than-satisfactory performance, to address market or equity issues, or as a retention adjustment. Individual salary increases greater than 5 percent are possible but will require permission from the appropriate senior vice president. A form exists for those requests.
More information, including an FAQ and the 5 percent excess request form, is available on the University Human Resources website.
Iowa State's salary adjustment policy applies to all funding sources. It requires university leaders each year to set minimum and maximum increases for employees receiving a satisfactory performance evaluation.
Leath noted that for budget planning, the targeted overall cost of performance-based salary increases at the university is 2.5 percent of the current payroll for these employees. As their budgets allow, colleges and administrative units have the flexibility to be above or below this target.
Salary increases for the FY15 faculty promotions ($6,500 for Distinguished Professors, $6,000 for University and Morrill Professors, $5,500 for full professors and $4,600 for associate professors) and increases due to P&S reclassifications don't replace or eliminate performance-based increases.
Unsatisfactory performance
An employee who receives an evaluation that is less than satisfactory will not receive a salary increase in July. He or she could receive a salary increase on Jan. 1, 2015, pending the outcomes of a performance improvement plan (P&S) or action plan (faculty, post docs) and another review in December.
P&S matrix adjusted
Effective July 1, the P&S salary matrix will be adjusted upward by 1.25 percent. The change applies to pay grade minimums, midpoints, maximums (except for P40 and P41, for which there is no established maximum salary) and the 'first third' targeted starting salary range. An employee salary that falls below the new minimum should be brought up to the new minimum before any annual salary adjustment is made.
Merit employees
The state is in the second of a two-year contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Iowa chapter, which covers nearly all university merit employees. As was the case last year, the contract calls for no salary increase on July 1. Merit employees who haven't reached the maximum salary in their pay grades will receive a 4.5 percent increase on their anniversary dates at the university.
