Faculty Retention Guidelines
Background
The Fiscal Year 2013 Salary Guidelines provide for Retention Increases for Faculty members under very limited circumstances with appropriate documentation.
Eligibility and Requirements
This exception to the restriction against salary increases should be used judiciously. Faculty retention increases will be approved on a very limited basis. Retention requests are for faculty who are being actively recruited by other institutions, or where there is compelling evidence that a preemptive action is necessary to prevent the loss of a valued faculty member. All faculty retention increases must be reported to the Chancellor.
Retention Justification Requirements
Requests must include direct evidence of recruitment by an outside institution. One of the following supporting documents must be attached to the Faculty Retention Request form:
- A written offer to the employee from another institution; or
- Written evidence, including e-mail or other correspondence, that the faculty member is being recruited seriously by another institution, or a search firm for an institution, at a compensation level likely to exceed the faculty member’s current compensation; or
- Documentation that the department has experienced retention problems in recent years that likely will result in the loss of a valuable faculty member if a retention adjustment is not made; or
- Other strong documented evidence that the institution is at imminent risk of losing a faculty member in the absence of a retention adjustment.
Procedure
- The Department Chair must determine if a retention increase should be requested, and if so, completes the Faculty Retention Request Form.
- A written narrative should be attached describing the retention increase justification.
- The required documentation must be attached for the retention increase as outlined above.
- While acknowledging the widening gap between market compensation and our salaries which have been frozen for 3 years, it is expected that increases for retention will be modest. Requests for increases greater than 10% should be well supported. In many cases, even when there is a competitive written offer, we may not be in a position to match the market salary.
- The department must clearly identify the funding source for the increase and, if it is from State funds, explain what will be changed from the budget to make available funding for the additional expense.
- The department chair should address in its justification any issues concerning compensation equity issues that may result if the increase is approved. If resulting income disparities are believed justified by documented differences in responsibilities and career achievements, the department chair should include the justification in its request.
- The request is forwarded to the Dean for review and approval. Retention requests should be approved only in very limited circumstances. Serious consideration must be given to the department’s request in the context of the College/Division and the University. The Dean then forwards the form to the Provost and Vice President for review and approval.
- The Provost and Vice President, after review and approval, will forward the form to the Budget Office to verify available funding
- The Budget Office will review and verify the form for available funding and forward to the Office of Human Resources.
- The Office of Human Resources will review the request and determine if required documentation is attached. Salary equity issues will be evaluated to determine whether there will be issues created if the increase is approved, and will consult with the EEO Officer and legal counsel to address equity concerns. The Office of Human Resources will forward the retention form to the Vice President of Administration and Finance for review.
- The VPAF will review all requests, determine if required documentation is attached and make a recommendation to the President regarding approval.
- The President is the final approval authority on staff retention requests.