University of Washington chapter
American Association of 
University Professors  

Salary Policy in the Faculty Code:

Sections 24-57, 24-70, 24-71 Faculty Code;
Executive Orders 64 and 29:
Board of Regents Policy 8

University Handbook
(now since 2010 reorganized and called the University Policy Directory)

Section 24-57.

1. Executive Order 64 (Footnote #2: Faculty Salary Policy)

   The fundamental purpose of the University o Washington Faculty Salary Policy is to allow the University to recruit and retain the best faculty. To accomplish these two objectives, the faculty must have confidence that their continuing and productive contributions to the goals of their units and to the University’s missions of teaching, research, and service will be rewarded throughout their careers. To compete for the best faculty, the University must be competitive with its peers. To retain the best faculty requires a similarly competitive approach. Therefore, the University places as one of its highest priorities rewarding faculty who perform to the highest standards and who continue to do so throughout their appointments at the University. This new policy is designed to provide for a predictable and continuing salary progression for meritorious faculty.

   Salary funds must be used to attract, retain, and reward those faculty whose continuing performance is outstanding, while recognizing that disciplinary variations exist in the academic marketplace. Accordingly, the University’s Salary Policy must allow for differential allocations among units. This provides the necessary flexibility to address the market gaps that develop between UW units and their recognized peers, acknowledges existing and future differentials in unit performance and contribution, and also recognizes that differing funding sources and reward structures exist among schools and colleges. The policy must ensure that equity considerations and compression are also addressed as needed.

   The University’s Salary Policy is founded upon the principle that individual salary decisions must be based on merit as assessed by a performance review conducted by faculty and administrative colleagues. Salary adjustments for performance and retention, as well as salary awards stemming from differential unit performance and marketplace gaps, are based upon a consultative process of faculty and administrative evaluation. Merit/performance evaluations are unit-based and reward the faculty for their contributions to local units as well as to the University’s goals.

   Allocation Procedure. Resources from both external and internal sources are used to fund faculty salaries. The Faculty Salary Policy anticipates new resources being made available from the Legislature, including legislative allocations for faculty salary increases and special legislative allocations for recruitment and retention, or through funds from tuition increases. Funds centrally recaptured from faculty turnover, grant, contract, and clinical funds available to individual units, and other internal resources which the Provost might identify are also used to support the plan.

   Prior to the beginning of each biennium, the Provost will meet with the Board of Deans, the Faculty Senate Planning and Budget Committee, and the University Budget Committee to formulate a recommendation for a salary distribution plan. After consultation with the above groups, the Provost shall make a recommendation to the President for faculty salary allocations. The President shall decide faculty salary allocations for the biennium, and this decision shall be reported to the Faculty Senate and to the University community more broadly.

   Allocation Categories. Consistent with the stated objectives, the first priority shall be to support regular merit and promotion awards to current faculty. Further, each biennium the minimum salaries by rank will be reviewed and, if adjusted, support will be provided to ensure those minimum levels are achieved. Other funds, as available, may be allotted among the following faculty salary adjustments:

   1. Additional merit to all faculty;
   2. Differential distributions by unit to correct salary gaps created by changing disciplinary markets or assessments of unit quality;
   3. Recruitment and retention;
   4. System wide adjustments to raise the salaries of all meritorious faculty.

   The University commits to support salary adjustments based on performance evaluations for those faculty deemed meritorious after a systematic review by faculty colleagues, department or unit head, Dean, and Provost. In order for these performance evaluations and merit salary recommendations to be meaningful, they must be done systematically and over an appropriate length of time to be able to make true quality assessments about performance and progress, considering the cumulative record of faculty.

   All faculty shall be evaluated annually for merit and for progress towards reappointment, promotion and/or tenure, as appropriate. A faculty member who is deemed to be meritorious in performance shall be awarded a regular 2% merit salary increase at the beginning of the following academic year. Higher levels of performance shall be recognized by higher levels of salary increases as permitted by available funding.

   Any faculty member whose performance is not deemed meritorious shall be informed by the Chair/Dean of the reasons. If deemed meritorious in the next year's review, the faculty member shall receive a regular 2% merit increase at the beginning of the following academic year. A departmental advisory committee, appointed consistent with Section 24-55H of the Faculty Code, will consider the development needs of faculty members not receiving regular merit salary increases for two consecutive years.

   Promotion. In addition to regular merit salary allocations, each faculty member who is promoted in rank shall be awarded a 7.5% promotion salary increase beginning on the date the promotion is effective.

   Unit Adjustments. Additional salary funds may be allocated by the Provost to colleges and schools at any time during the biennium, after appropriate consultations with the Faculty Senate Planning and Budgeting Committee, to address differentials occurring in the academic labor markets and to reflect assessments of the quality, standing, and contributions of units to College, School, and University goals. Unless specifically allocated by the Provost for a particular unit or purpose, the Deans shall consult with their elected faculty councils before distributing any additional salary increase funds among their constituent units. The procedures of Section 24-55 of the Faculty Code will be followed in distributing funds allocated to adjust faculty salaries based on merit.

   Retention Adjustments. With approval from the Provost, college-administered or University funds may be used to adjust faculty salaries as a means to retain faculty members at the University of Washington either at the time of merit reviews or at other times as necessary throughout the academic year. Assessments of a faculty member’s quality and unit contribution are essential elements in decisions to make retention adjustments. Consultative processes to recommend retention adjustments shall be established at the unit level following the procedures set forth in Section 24-71 of the Faculty Code.

   Funding Cautions. This Faculty Salary Policy is based upon an underlying principle that new funds from legislative appropriations are required to keep the salary system in equilibrium. Career advancement can be rewarded and the current level of faculty positions sustained only if new funds are provided. Without the infusion of new money from the Legislature into the salary base, career advancement can only be rewarded at the expense of the size of the University faculty. Without the influx of new money or in the event of decreased State support, a reevaluation of this Faculty Salary Policy may prove necessary.

   Executive Order No. 64 of the President, January 7, 2000.

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   Executive Order 29 (Footnote #3: Partial Suspension of Executive Order No. 64)

   Purpose. The purpose of this Executive Order is to address the immediate financial circumstances facing the University by temporarily controlling faculty salary levels while reaffirming the University’s commitment to ensuring the quality of the University through a competitively compensated faculty dedicated to academic excellence.

   Need for Temporary Reevaluation of Faculty Salary Policy. Executive Order No. 64 recognized that in the event of decreased State support, a reevaluation of the Faculty Salary Policy could prove necessary. Unfortunately, we face that contingency to a degree that could not have been predicted even a year ago. The nation and the state of Washington are experiencing the effects of a global financial crisis of historic proportions. One consequence of this financial crisis is a drastic reduction in the State budget, which is virtually certain to result in significant reductions in State support for the University. The expected reductions in State support, combined with other economic forces, will result in cuts to programs, increased tuition, and reduced access for students, lay-offs and non-renewal of personnel, as well as limitations on the University’s ability to increase salaries for broad classes of its employees. The cost of maintaining regular merit increases for the 2009–11 biennium would be even more damaging in the midst of broad and dramatic budget cuts across the institution.

   Partial Suspension of Executive Order No. 64. In light of the economic circumstances facing the University, the following portions of Executive Order No. 64 must be and are immediately suspended:

   1. The phrase “regular merit” in the first sentence of the subsection entitled Allocation Categories.
   2. The sentence that reads, “A faculty member who is deemed to be meritorious in performance shall be awarded a regular 2% merit salary increase at the beginning of the following academic year.”
   3. The sentence that reads, “If deemed meritorious in the next year’s review, the faculty member shall receive a regular 2% merit increase at the beginning of the following academic year.”
   4. The phrase, “In addition to regular merit salary allocations,” in the sentence in the subsection entitled Promotion.

   All other portions of Executive Order No. 64 remain in effect. This suspension shall expire at the conclusion of the 2009–11 biennium.

   Reaffirmation of Principles and Commitment. Although the suspension of merit salary increases is a temporary imperative, it remains equally evident that regular merit increases, promotions, hiring, retention, and competitive compensation of faculty are critical to the long-term success of the University. University leadership remains steadfastly committed to the fundamental elements of Executive Order No. 64, and its principles and priorities are reaffirmed. As evidence of this commitment, the following steps, subject to State law or formal changes to University policy, will be taken to respect the principles of the salary policy in Sections 24-70 and 24-71 of the Faculty Code and the portions of Executive Order No. 64 that have not been suspended:

   1. Regular merit increases will resume first priority for allocation of salary funds after this suspension expires;
   2. Promotion increases will continue during the 2009–11 biennium;
   3. If a dean or chancellor, following procedures consistent with Section 24-71 B.3 of the Faculty Code, determines that offering a retention salary increase is required, the dean or chancellor will be allowed to allocate to this purpose some of the funds remaining to it after undertaking budget cuts negotiated with the Provost;
   4. No pool of funds will be set aside centrally by the Provost or President for the purpose of retention in academic units;
   5. Faculty positions will only be filled to the extent necessary to fulfill the University’s mission and vision;
   6. During the 2009–11 biennium, the Provost will provide the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting quarterly reports to review the status of faculty recruitment and retention across the institution.

   Executive Order No. 29 of the President, March 31, 2009.

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   Regents Policy 8 (Footnote #4: Board of Regents Resolution Regarding Faculty Salaries)

   WHEREAS, the President and Faculty Senate worked together in 1999 and 2000 to create a Faculty Salary Policy which states, among other things, that faculty members deemed in any year to be meritorious are to receive a 2% pay increase in the following year; and

   WHEREAS, the Board of Regents and the President remain committed to the achievement of fully competitive compensation for our faculty, but must contend with the current unprecedented condition of financial adversity; and

   WHEREAS, in light of the effects of the global financial crisis and decreasing state support for the University, the President, after extensive review and consultation with the Faculty Senate in accordance with the Faculty Code, concluded he was compelled by fiscal necessity to issue, and has issued, a new Executive Order suspending the award of merit pay increases through the 2009-11 biennium.

   NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:

   The Board of Regents:

   1. Endorses the President’s new Executive Order as a financial necessity and approves the suspension of merit pay increases through the 2009-11 biennium, which will prevail over any University policies, rules, or codes or regulations to the extent they may be inconsistent.
   2. Directs that, through the period of such suspension, a copy of this resolution be inserted in the University Handbook at an appropriate location adjacent to the Faculty Salary Policy.
   3. Requests that the President, with the Faculty Senate leadership, monitor the effects of this suspension and our current economic circumstance on competitive faculty compensation.
   4. Requests the President to propose at the earliest possible opportunity the restoration of such faculty merit pay increases as may be feasible.

   BR, April 16, 2009.

1. Faculty at the University of Washington shall be salaried on a merit-based system that reflects the University's standing among its peer institutions. Under this system, all faculty deemed meritorious shall be regularly rewarded for their contributions to their department, school/college, and university. Resources permitting, the University shall provide its meritorious faculty with salaries commensurate with those of their peers elsewhere.

2. Advancement in salary can be effected in several distinct, but not mutually exclusive, ways. A salary increase:
   1. shall be granted to provide an initial minimum equal-percentage salary increase to all faculty following a successful merit review (conducted in accord with procedures of Section 24-55);

   2. shall attend, in addition to awards under B. 1 above, promotion in rank (approved in accord with Section 24-54);

   3. shall be awarded to raise individuals' salaries to the minimum salary for each faculty rank (in accord with Section 24-71.A.3below);

   4. may be awarded as an additional merit salary increase beyond that available under 24-70.B.1 (following review procedures of Section 24-55);

   5. may be awarded as a result of unit-level adjustment (in accord with Section 24-71.B.2 below);

   6. may be offered in response to a potential or actual external offer of appointment (upon review in accord with Section 24-71.B.3 below); and

   7. may be allocated as a University-wide increase in the faculty salary base that shall be distributed in equal dollar amounts or equal percentage salary increases to all meritorious faculty.

S-A 99, July 9, 1999: with Presidential approval.

Faculty Code Section 24-71. Procedures for Allocating Salary Increases

1. The Provost shall consult with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting and, each biennium, shall subsequently recommend to the President the allocation of available funds for salary increases, for distribution among all categories listed in Section 24-70.B. The President shall make the final decision on these allocations and shall report the decision to the Faculty Senate.
   1. This allocation shall each year make available funds to provide an initial minimum equal-percentage salary increase to all faculty deemed meritorious under Section 24-55.

   2. This allocation shall each year make available funds to provide salary increases to all faculty awarded promotions approved in accord with Section 24-54.

   3. Every two years, the Provost shall, after consultation with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting, determine the minimum salary for each faculty rank. This determination shall take account of the recent salaries of beginning Assistant Professors at the University of Washington, and shall endeavor to reflect in the floors for other ranks the general expectation of salary advancement for faculty.

2. The Provost may distribute, in the course of a biennium, funds allocated by the President:
   1. to provide additional merit salary increases (beyond those awarded under 24-71.A.1). This allocation shall be distributed as equal-percentage increases to all units to fund merit increases for faculty (in accord with Section 24-55).

   2. to address the market "gap" of an individual unit. Allocation of such funds to units shall follow close consideration of individual units and consultation with the Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting. The Provost shall periodically gather updates on salary information from appropriate sources, including unit heads, and shall make those findings available to the faculty. The department chair (or dean in an undepartmentalized school/college) shall consult with the unit's voting faculty who are senior (or, in the case of full professors, equal) in rank--or the unit's designated faculty committee(s)--about the appropriate distribution of these funds; and

   3. to retain a current faculty member, based on the recommendation of the dean. Prior to preparing a response, the dean shall first consult with the unit's chair. The faculty of each academic unit shall be provided the opportunity to cast an advisory vote on the appropriate response; alternatively, the faculty may establish, consistent with the procedures of Section 23-45, a different policy regarding the level of consultation they deem necessary before a competitive salary offer may be made. This policy shall be recorded with the Dean's office of the appropriate unit and a copy forwarded to the Secretary of the Faculty. The faculty shall vote whether to affirm or amend this policy biennially.

3. The deans of the schools and colleges shall, after consultation with their elected faculty councils (Section 23-45.B), allocate to the faculty of the constituent units of their school/college, all funds made available to provide salary increases under Section 24-70.B. Distribution of these awards to individual faculty shall be carried out following the requisite procedures of Chapter 24.