The UH Finance and Administration Committee for the Board of Regents approved the fiscal year 2011 budget in one of their most recent meetings.
The budget includes funds for a 3 percent raise pool for faculty and staff, which will take effect in October.
The raises awarded by the Regents will be based solely on merit, rewarding individuals based on productivity reviews that were conducted each year by deans, department chairs and department and college committees.
“Merit increases are justified when faculty productivity increases and there is no doubt that faculty productivity, in terms of research, external funding and scholarly output, has significantly increased over the last year in our quest for (Flagship) status,” Faculty Senate President Mark Clarke said.
According to the Regents presentation, the budget for the fiscal year 2011 is set to $1.34 billion, $7 million of which has been allotted for the faculty and staff raise pool.
“We are pleased that the administration continues to support (our quest for Flagship) and has worked diligently to secure a 3 percent merit pool for faculty even in this uncertain financial climate,” Clarke said.
In order to be considered for the pay raise, staff members must meet certain requirements.
“To be eligible, a staff member must be employed in a benefits-eligible staff position continuously since March 1, 2010 and have a current PCD (Performance Communication and Development) form on file in Human Resources with a rating of “Generally Meets Expectations” or better,” Executive Vice Chancellor Carl Carlucci said in a memorandum to all UH vice presidents and deans.
Based on the PCD ratings, merit increase guidelines recommend faculty and staff be awarded raise increases of 1 to 2 percent for “Generally Meets Expectations”, 2 to 3 percent for “Fully Meets Expectations” and 3 to 5 percent for “Exceeds Expectations.”
Recommendations for the merit-based raise will be provided by the president, provost, vice presidents, deans, chairs, principal investigators and directors.
After approval from the specified division’s vice president, Human Resources will review individual recommendations for compliance with all listed guidelines.
Raises due to promotions will be funded separately and are not included in the funds set aside for the merit-based raise increase.
For those faculty awarded promotional raises, the awarded amount for tenure alone in the upcoming year is set for a $3500 increment.
A promotion to associate professor with tenure is set for a $7000 increment, and for the promotion to full professor is set for a $10,000 increment.
In addition to reallocation of funds, the Regents added several new principles including, but not limited to, the reallocation of resources for new faculty and instructional sites, the promotion of enrollment growth and a call for recruiting and retention programs for faculty and staff.
The previous year’s budget established several principles including the maintenance of a balanced budget, the appropriate use of revenues and the continued investment in faculty and campus growth.