Fact sheet/Q&A document regarding proposed faculty/OA salary increase

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Multi-Year Salary Adjustment Program (FY13 and FY14)

FY13 Program

  • 1.5 percent cost of living adjustment (COLA) retroactive to Jan. 1, 2013 for all officers of instruction and officers of research.
  • Employees who began employment on or before June 30, 2012 are eligible.

FY14 Program

  • 1.5 percent cost of living adjustment with the possibility of an additional merit/equity increase for all unclassified faculty and staff (e.g., officers of instruction, officers of administration and officers of research). 2% equity/merit salary pool available.
  • Effective date: July 1, 2013
  • Employees who began employment on or before Dec. 31, 2012 are eligible.
  • Staff excluded from increases include:
    • Employees on F Contracts (unless extenuating circumstances)
    • Coaches on multi-year custom contracts (unless extenuating circumstances)

Q&A:

  • Q: Why is this happening now?
  • A:  With the cost of living going up each year, the University of Oregon needs to provide periodic adjustments to salaries in order to help keep pace with inflation. It is also important that the university have a program in place to award merit and adjust equity issues in order to recruit and retain high-performing faculty and staff. 
  • Q: When should Officers of Instruction and Officers of Research expect to begin receiving their FY13 1.5 percent COLA?
  • A:  We expect to distribute these funds in May. As the increase will be effective as of Jan. 1, the May check will include all retroactive pay for January, February, March and April.
  • Q: How will the merit/equity increase portion of this program be administered?
  • A: Recommendations regarding merit/equity increases will be made at the department level based on performance and current compensation structures. The senior vice provost or appropriate vice president must approve all increases.  Merit/equity increases can only be awarded based on performance reviews completed within the last year.
  • Q: How will this program affect faculty who are represented by United Academics?
  • A: The University of Oregon and United Academics, which represents the faculty bargaining unit, are currently negotiating the initial contract. Those negotiations will include bargaining over salary. Typically, salary adjustments for the bargaining unit members would not be implemented until the university and United Academics completed negotiations and reached agreement on the full contract. Given that it could be some time before an agreement is in place, the university has decided to offer the same cost of living increases and merit/equity increase programs to United Academics. If United Academics accepts the offer, the university will implement the same increase programs for bargaining unit faculty now so that all university faculty can realize these increases immediately. Although this action on the part of the university is somewhat extraordinary, the university believes that this implementation plan is to the benefit of all involved.
  • Q: How will this program impact employees who are represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU)?
  • A: Wage increases for classified staff represented by the Service Employees International Union will be bargained for through the contract negotiation process currently underway. The union bargains a two-year contract each biennium with the Oregon University System, which negotiates on behalf of all seven public universities. The University of Oregon does not bargain directly with SEIU.