ADDITIONAL SALARY INCREASES PLANNED FOR FACULTY, STAFF

From: University Communications

June 4, 2004

HARRISONBURG – The James Madison University Board of Visitors Friday (June 4) approved a proposal from the university's administration to provide additional salary for faculty and staff above the 3 percent increase approved by the Virginia General Assembly.

The supplemental increases provided by JMU, which will go to faculty and staff demonstrating satisfactory performance, will range from 1 to 3 percent. The supplements will be awarded in July or August to all faculty and staff with satisfactory performance records.

The 3 percent increase approved by the legislature goes into effect Nov. 27. Those raises will be awarded based on merit and could range higher or lower than 3 percent in individual cases.

JMU President Linwood H. Rose told the board that "it is essential that we continue to enhance salaries to retain quality on our faculty and staff and to attract outstanding faculty and staff in the future."

Many colleges and universities in the state, including JMU, have lost faculty members to colleges and universities in other states in recent years because of salary issues.

Rose said that JMU is attempting to bring its average faculty salary to the point where it is equal to the 60th percentile of a group of institutions around the country that are comparable to JMU. JMU is now at the 37th percentile in that grouping.

"We are grateful to the governor and the General Assembly and the support from our students and their parents that has made funding available for us to recognize and reward the dedication of the university's faculty and staff," Rose said.

The following salary adjustments will be made in addition to the state-approved 3 percent increase in the fall:

  • A 2 percent increase for all instructional faculty who have demonstrated satisfactory performance. The increase will be effective July 1 for faculty on 12-month contracts and in mid-August for those on 10-month contracts.

  • A 1 percent additional increase for all full professors who have demonstrated satisfactory performance. Rose told the board that full professors fare lower in comparison to professors at comparable universities than do JMU associate and assistant professors. "We also need to recognize those who have devoted many years of outstanding service to the university and higher education," he said.

  • A 1 percent increase, effective July 1, for administrative and professional (non-teaching) faculty who have demonstrated satisfactory performance.

  • A 1 percent bonus, effective July 1, for classified (staff) employees who have demonstrated satisfactory performance. Rose explained to the board that state regulations do not allow the university to make such an increase a part of the employee's permanent base salary, so one-time bonuses will be awarded.

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