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Inside Iowa State, a newspaper for faculty and staff, is published by the Office of University Relations.

May 25, 2005

Faculty, P&S salary increases will average 3 percent

by Anne Krapfl

Salary increases for continuing faculty and P&S employees will average 3 percent in the fiscal year that begins July 1. On the heels of a late adjournment of the Iowa Legislature, President Gregory Geoffroy announced May 23 the FY06 compensation policy and implementation guidelines.

"Hiring and retaining excellent faculty and staff remains my top priority," Geoffroy said. "To do that, we must improve the competitiveness of our salaries, and that is the highest priority for use of our new revenues."

The salary policy covers employees paid from ISU's general fund (this includes the general university, Ag Experiment Station, Cooperative Extension, Institute for Physical Research and Technology, Leopold Center, Small Business Development Center, Research Park and healthy livestock research initiative), although non-general fund units also are expected to award salary increases based on the policy.

General fund units will receive funds equal to 3 percent of their (continuing and filled) employee salaries. With approval from their vice president, units may reallocate to create more dollars available for salary increases. The total amount reallocated for this purpose cannot exceed 1 percent of the unit's salary base.

Faculty with satisfactory job evaluations will receive a minimum 1 percent increase, with increases above this level based on individual merit.

P&S staff with satisfactory job evaluations will receive a minimum increase of 1 percent of the salary midpoint in their pay grades, with increases above that figure based on individual merit. The chart below lists minimum salary increase for satisfactory performance.

Pay gradeMinimum increase
11$353
12$382
13$423
14$472
15$532
16$612
17$704
18$826
19$979
20n/a

Faculty and P&S staff with unsatisfactory job evaluations will receive increases below the 1 percent thresholds and must receive a written rationale for the decision.

Geoffroy's salary policy memo also indicates that:

  • Promotion increases for faculty ($3,000 for promotion to full professor and $2,500 to associate professor) may not be used as substitutes for merit increases.
  • The FY06 P&S pay matrix will increase by 2.5 percent at the pay grade minimums and maximums. The salary allocation to units will include funds to bring salaries to the new minimums, where needed. These increases also may not be used as substitutes for merit increases.
  • The Office of Institutional Research has two reports on faculty salaries that can be resources for managers. One compares ISU and peer university faculty salaries. The other separates ISU faculty salaries by gender and minority status.
  • A report on P&S salaries is online at http://www.hrs.iastate.edu/ClassComp/P&SAnnualReport.shtml. Because the timing of the report has been changed starting this year, the last report available is from 2004.

Merit employee increases

Iowa State will follow the terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the state and AFSCME for merit employees covered by the contract. Under that contract, on their employment anniversary dates in FY06, merit employees will receive salary increases of 4.5 percent, not to exceed the maximums of their pay grades. On April 1, 2006, the pay grade maximums will be adjusted up by 2.5 percent. All merit employees at the top of their pay grades on April 1 will receive 2.5 percent increases.