Regents to advance pay raise proposal

The UW System Board of Regents is seeking pay raises of 4.2 percent in each of the next two years for faculty, academic staff and university senior executives.

The regents will vote on the 2001-03 pay plan recommendation at their meeting Dec. 7-8 in Madison. If approved, the proposal would be sent to the Department of Employment Relations for consideration.

UW System officials say the salary increases are necessary to make faculty and staff salaries competitive.

“A total salary increase of 4.2 percent each year (is needed) to restore faculty to a median position among peers by the end of the 2001-03 biennium and will keep academic staff and executive salaries from falling further behind the market,” says the regent proposal.

The 4.2 percent figure was determined by examining salary projections from the American Association of University Professors, anticipated inflationary increases and gaps in the market.

If approved by the Joint Committee on Employment Relations next year, the 4.2 percent pay raise proposal would follow 5.2 percent raises for faculty and academic staff as part of the 1999-2001 state budget.

A yet-to-be-determined combination of state tax revenue and tuition will finance the raises for faculty and staff. Pay increases for most classified employees will be negotiated separately between the Department of Employment Relations and a number of unions.