Compensation Action Guidelines
Under the Unit 1 CBA, Article 7, compensation increases for bargaining unit members can be given for equity, retention, and merit. When submitting compensation change requests to the Office for Academic Affairs (OAP) for review and approval, the following guidelines should be followed:
Required Documents:
To request a compensation change, submit the following documents to OAP at faculty@unm.edu.
Each request must include a justification addressing the single, primary basis for the increase. To assist in the documentation of the compensation increase, below are guidelines to use when drafting compensation change forms.
I. Primary basis for the increase - Equity: Justification must address the need for an increase by an assessment of an individual relative to similarly situated faculty (e.g., rank/title, specialization/discipline, time in rank, and performance). Equity increases are supported by an internal equity assessment.Example Addressing Equity w/in Rank:
In a review of tenured/tenure-track faculty in X department, Professor X is paid less than other similarly situated Professors in the department with the same rank, and comparable years of experience. The equity increase would bring Professor X’s salary in line with other Professors within the department.
Example Addressing Compaction:
In a review of tenured/tenure-track faculty in X department, there is compaction between assistant and associate professors in X department. Assistant professors within the department have been hired at current market competitive rates resulting in compaction between assistant and associate professor ranks. Equity increases are needed for associate professors to differentiate salary for associate professors based on the higher rank and greater years of experience.
Example Addressing Market Conditions:
In a review of tenured/tenure-track faculty in X department, associate professors routinely fell significantly below the average salaries of faculty at other R1 institutions (OSU Average Salary = $XXX,XXX). Given that Professor X has X years in rank and satisfactory performance as an associate professor, we are requesting an equity increase to bring the salary in line with the average salary for associate professors within X specialization (CIP Code XX.XX) at other R1 institutions.
II. Primary basis for the increase - Retention: Justification must address either an offer outside of UNM has been received by the faculty member or a preemptive retention offer is being made to retain the faculty member. The justification must address why it is important to retain the faculty member.Example:
Professor X was offered a higher paying position at _____________. Professor X is an expert in the field of X, exemplary faculty member as demonstrated by <<list examples>>. It is important to retain Professor X in order for the department to maintain a solid foundation in the area of X and remain a leader within the field.
Additionally, given Professor’s salary lags behind the average salary of <<Rank>> at other R1 institutions (OSU Average Salary = $XXX,XXX). A retention increase is needed to retain Professor X and bring the salary in line with market competitiveness for R1 institutions.
III. Primary basis for the increase - Merit: Justification must address the faculty member’s meritorious performance as assessed in accordance with departmental practices.
Example:
Professor X is a leader in X field. Professor X has contributed <list examples>>. Given Professor X’s exemplary performance and national reputation, we are requesting a merit increase of $X,XXX/X%.
Additionally, the increase would place Professor X’s salary above the average salary for Professors at other R1 institutions (OSU Average Salary = $XXX,XXX). However, given Professor X’s exemplary performance and national reputation, a salary that exceeds the national average for Professors within the field is warranted.
