TO: Academic Deans, Directors, and Chairpersons

MEMORANDUM

TO: Academic Deans, Directors, and Chairpersons

FROM: Mark B. Rosenberg, Provost

RE: 2002 Faculty Salary Raises from Equity Funds

DATE: August 29, 2002

CC: Executive Council

Joan Baker

Academic Affairs Staff

I am pleased to share with you the process for the 2002 faculty salary raises that President Maidique has committed from the Equity funding received from the 2002 Legislature. This written statement has evolved after consultation with deans, and the executive leadership of FIU’s Chapter of the UFF.

This process is designed to reward our meritorious faculty and increase their salaries toward the mean salaries, by discipline and rank, of the three Florida research-extensive universities. Using levels of merit awards, the goal is to reward at least 50% of our regular faculty. Given budget contingencies, we hope that this process be the first of a two-year plan, supported by Equity funding appropriated by the Legislature, to increase salaries of deserving faculty.
I would encourage you to share and discuss this information with faculty in department/school meetings. If you have any questions about the implementation of this process, please contact Executive Vice Provost Judith Blucker.

To increase FIU faculty salaries, President Maidique has approved the distribution of $1.3 million dollars from the Equity funding allocated to FIU by the 2002 Florida Legislature. This salary increase is in addition to the 2.5% annual salary raises supported by UFF and approved by the Florida Legislature for the 2002-03 academic year. (The term Equity identifies the financial source of the 2002 merit raises, not the criteria for selection). The purposes of this 2002 merit raise are to reward meritorious performance and to address market “R-1” competitiveness issues by beginning the process of increasing FIU faculty salaries to the average salaries, by rank and discipline, of the three Florida research-extensive universities, - - - UF,FSU, and USF.

Three levels of merit and/or “R-1” market competitiveness recognition in the amounts of $750, $1500, and $3000 for nine-month faculty are expected to result in raises for at least 50% of the FIU faculty. All nine-month and twelve-month regular faculty (not visiting) are eligible, including both in-unit and out-of-unit faculty. Faculty will receive their raises no later than the January 10, 2003 payroll date.

Academic Affairs will distribute two-thirds of the total pool dollars to academic units as follows: 50% on the salary rate/faculty FTE of the unit and 50% on the unit’s deviation from the three Florida research-extensive university discipline and rank means. The Provost will retain one-third of the total pool dollars for distribution to faculty identified by departments and deans as deserving of a raise or of a higher amount than the unit allocation allows as well as to faculty who are not in the bargaining unit or not based in any academic school or college.

Faculty are to be nominated by the Dean based on meritorious performance as determined by department merit criteria and, as appropriate, academic unit criteria and/or existing procedures, and consultation with department chairpersons. In Schools without departments, the Dean should use the School’s merit criteria and procedures to determine the faculty to be nominated for meritorious performance. For “R-1” market competitiveness, faculty are to be nominated by the Dean based on such things as the support of faculty peers and the chairperson, the discipline’s national standards, and the faculty’s sustained performance record.

The distribution process strives for consultation and transparency at all levels. Department chairs are encouraged to forward to their Deans a list of those meritorious faculty who are either excluded due to insufficient funds (immediately below a cut off point, for example) or inadequately rewarded due to the limits of unit allocation. Deans will then consult with the Provost, providing a rationale and documentation, for faculty to be selected from this category.

Implementation Timeline: 2002 Faculty Salary Raises from Equity Funds

August 29, 2002: Provost Memo and Statement of Process Distributed

September 3: Departments share information with faculty

September 11: Equity Money Distribution from OABP to academic units

November 1: Chairpersons submit recommendations to Dean

November 15: Deans submit recommendations and rationale to Provost

(Face-to-face meeting by this date)

December 6: Recommended Raises reported to Payroll for distribution no later than January 10, 2003