Regents- Some financial risk from new pay plan

The board of regents unanimously approved a faculty promotion pay plan on Friday even as it cut nearly $450,000 from its operating budget as part of $5.26 million in fee increases and spending cuts implemented by the board this year.

Part of the budget-balancing plan includes closing Parker Pool even though student leaders had argued against it. School officials said the university plans to rent the Central Municipal Pool for intramural sports and for exercise classes for the elderly, activities now held at Parker Pool.

The new promotion pay plan, which could cost Southeast between $104,000 and $185,000 more a year than it currently spends on promotions, is scheduled to go into effect next fiscal year.

School officials say it's a major improvement over the existing merit pay plan, which involved a lot of paperwork for little pay. "I think the current policy is more demoralizing than encouraging," said provost Dr. Jane Stephens, the school's chief academic officer who favors the new pay plan.

Don Dickerson, president of the board of regents, cautioned that the school is faced with paying more money to faculty at a time when revenue is tight. "There is some risk involved in this," he said.

But Dr. Ken Dobbins, university president, said the university plans to put a fourth of the money for faculty raises each year into a fund for promotion pay.

"There may be a year or two that the fund is in deficit," Dobbins said. But he and other officials maintain the university will have the money to boost pay for promoted faculty.

Even this year, promoted faculty received pay raises even though the school didn't give any general pay raises because of financial woes, school officials said.

Faculty would have to apply for the merit money and show what they've accomplished in order to receive the promotions and added pay. The pay would be in addition to regular pay raises.

Under the plan, assistant professors moving up to the associate professor level would receive a $6,400 increase in salary, more than double what they currently receive. Associate professors moving up to full professor would get $7,900 pay increases, double the current amount.

Full professors would get $4,000 pay increases every five years if they meet merit requirements each time. The old system didn't allow full professors to get added merit pay beyond regular pay hikes.

Faculty in untenured positions could qualify for $1,250 pay increases every five years.

Stephens said faculty promoted within the last four years will receive some increased pay, although those adjustments still must be worked out.

School officials estimate that anywhere from 30 to 50 faculty might receive promotion pay in any given year once the plan is implemented.

Regent Kim Mothershead said the pay plan could help keep faculty "happy."

Latest budget cuts

As to the latest budget cuts, school officials said the moves, including some administrative reshuffling, are necessary due to decreased state funding.

School officials said the plan, even with the restructuring of academic departments from 14 to nine, eliminates only five clerical and technical jobs. Those individuals will have a chance to fill other vacancies at the university, Dobbins said.

As part of the budget plan, the regents authorized spending $1.1 million to relocate printing and duplicating and central receiving -- the university's mailroom -- from their off-campus site at 221 N. Fountain. The money will go to convert Parker Pool into the new home for printing and duplicating, and build an addition to the facilities management building on Washington Street to house central receiving.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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