Merit Based Compensation (Faculty)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What faculty status qualifies for merit?
Regular full-time and regular part-time faculty employed prior to January 1, 2018 are eligible for merit. Visiting and adjunct faculty are not eligible for merit awards.
What process was used to determine faculty merit awards?
Merit pay for each faculty member was determined as the sum of the following components:
A. Rating-based merit pay (using most recent Periodic Performance Review - PPR)
Effective or Exceptional* 1.0% of current salary
Needs Improvement 0.5%
Ineffective Performance 0.0%
* The following situations are equivalent to a rating of Effective or Exceptional in determining
rating-based merit pay:
1) A rating of Outstanding, Excellent, or Meets Minimal Standards on the most recent annual
performance review or post-tenure review if that review occurred prior to 2017-18; or
2) A positive result from a promotion and/or tenure review in 2016-17 or 2017-18.
B. Discretionary Merit Pay
In addition to the amounts generated by application of the ratings-based percentages, each Dean had an opportunity to allocate additional amounts of merit pay to individual faculty members based on her/his accomplishments in the domains of Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (including Administration, as appropriate).
Will the merit award allocation be added to base salary?
Yes. Any eligible merit awards will be added to the base salary in the form of a monthly merit award amount. The monthly merit award amount is determined by the total annual merit award divided by the number of pay periods the merit award recipient works annually (9 or 12).
What is the effective date of the increase, and when will I see it in my paycheck?
The effective date of the merit increase for eligible faculty members is September 1, 2018 to be reflected on your October 1, 2018 paycheck.
Will the new base pay be used to determine summer salaries?
Yes, the new 9-month pay will be the base upon which summer salaries are calculated.
What if I want to appeal my performance evaluation or merit increase?
Performance evaluations may be appealed according to university policy. If, for some reason, a faculty member believes there has been an error in calculating the merit award, she/he may consult with the dean. As always, the Office of Human Resources reserves the right to review any action that violates relevant state and federal law.
Merit Based Compensation FAQ for Faculty