Faculty Salaries Policies and Procedures

Faculty salary policies and procedures

Recommendations for Merit Raises

The guidelines for merit raises are intended to foster an environment where meritorious performance is rewarded and where non-performance based factors play a minimal role. They are intended to allow, promote, and support individuality, creativity, and academic freedom. All decisions concerning merit should be thoroughly documented and justified to preclude the use of nebulous or difficult to document criteria and irrelevant criteria. Promotion and Tenure Guidelines should also be used for evaluating meritorious performance. The evaluation should be based upon performance in all of the areas consistent with the institutional purpose of Winthrop University – teaching effectiveness, scholarship and professional recognition, and professional service and academic responsibility.

Promotion Raises. Salary increments accompany promotions to the various academic ranks. These amounts are awarded by the President each year.

Administrative Supplements. In some instances faculty may receive salary supplements and/or release time for administrative assignments. The supplement is not considered during the raise process, i.e., raises are only applied to the base amount of the salary.

Review Process. All faculty are reviewed by their administrative supervisor in the spring semester. These evaluations form the basis of the unit supervisor’s recommendation of meritorious, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory performance. Criteria used in determining the merit recommendations are teaching effectiveness, scholarship and professional recognition, and professional service and academic responsibility. In order to achieve a merit raise a faculty member must excel in one of these areas and contribute to the University above and beyond his/her normal performance expectations.

Criteria for Awarding Merit

The following basic principles should be considered when awarding merit:

1. Criteria must remain flexible to allow for individual uniqueness and creativity in performance
2. Administrative judgments by those responsible for making merit decisions will always play a role in determining who is awarded merit. However, documented evidence consistent with the purpose of Winthrop University must be used to support the decision.
3. Consideration for merit awards will not be influenced by the age, gender, race, creed, or religion of the faculty member.
4. Activities in which a faculty member engages outside of the University should not restrict the opportunity to be considered for merit as long as they are within the individual’s legal right and are consistent with the traditions of academic freedom.
5. Documented evidence supporting a faculty member’s qualifications for consideration for merit may be submitted or solicited from many sources, such as the faculty member, the department chair, other colleagues, students, or persons outside of Winthrop University who have had contact and are qualified to evaluate the faculty member’s work.

Guidelines for Evaluating Faculty Performance to Award Merit

1. Those to be recommended for merit must show evidence of meritorious performance, especially in teaching effectiveness.
2. Merit evaluations should be based upon performance during the current academic year. In the event that funds are not available in a given year for merit raises, a complete evaluation for that year should still be conducted and documented so that retroactive awards of merit may be possible in a subsequent year.
3. Satisfactory performance should be judged by the criteria with respect to teaching effectiveness, scholarship and professional recognition, and professional service and academic responsibility.
4. Scholarly activity involving long-term projects should be evaluated on an annual basis with respect to effort and progress rather than entirely on the end result.

Sources of Funds.

Funds for cost of living increases and merit raises may potentially come from two sources. The South Carolina legislator’s annual appropriations bill may provide monies for these purposes depending on the State’s fiscal status and capacity. Guidelines for distribution of such funds come from the South Carolina Budget and Control Board. Similarly, Winthrop University may designate funds for salary enhancements depending on the University’s fiscal status and capacity. Distribution guidelines for institutional funds will be determined by the President of Winthrop University.

Academic Affairs

Not specified

2005