CSN Faculty Salary History, 2000-Beyond

AND INITIAL PLACEMENT DEFICIENCIES

Salary Schedules Source: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/0Bwoda74naMckRTFiVk4yUm15Y2M/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111510396865751758122&resourcekey=0-SgNOA3iQAJTZqEPteTDNow&rtpof=true&sd=true

Throughout this presentation, �we will track and compare the �initial placement for an instructor �with a master’s degree and �6 years of experience.

Prior to FY14: The Old Step System

Prior to FY14 (2013-2014), CSN had a Step System Salary Schedule, which came directly from the Board of Regents Handbook (Code).

Each Column was a multiple of Col 1, and it went up to Step 30 (only 10 shown), with each Step being 2.5% higher than the previous. Existing faculty earning ”Merit” moved up 1 Step in the subsequent year. That also, essentially, made each Step equivalent to Years of Experience (YOE).

New faculty were limited to 10 YOE for initial placement.

Thus, someone hired in 2000 with a Masters Degree and 6 YOE was offered $34,101.

How COLAs and Merit Were Applied

If a COLA was awarded to existing faculty, every number on the Step System was raised by a corresponding percent AND the Code was updated with a new schedule.

For example, a 4% COLA was awarded for the 2001-2002 Academic Year (FY02).

That meant someone hired at Col 3 Step 6 in FY02 was offered $35,465, which is 4% higher than the FY01 offer.

BTW, an existing meritorious employee at Col 3, Step 6 in FY01 with one more YOE moved to Step 7, which resulted a 2.5% merit increase AND a 4% COLA.

$34,101(1.025)(1.04) = $34,101(1.066) = $36,351

Professional Advancement

Notice the “Multiple” line at the bottom of the schedule. Col 2 is a multiple of 1.1 of Col 1. In other words, Col 2 is 110% of Col 1.

If an individual advanced from Col 1 to Col 2, they would get a 10% raise - in addition to advancing up a step (2.5%), and any COLA that was awarded (4% in FY02).

Col 3 is 125% of Col 1 and Col 4 is 140% Col 1. The increase from Col 3 to Col 4 is NOT 15%. It is 12%.

• % Inc = (1.40 – 1.25)/1.25 = 0.12 = 12%

Likewise, the increase from Col 4 to Col 5 is NOT 10%. It is 7.14%.

FY03: Addition of the Tenure Columns

For FY03, there was a 4% COLA.

Col 3 Step 6 = $36,884

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Also, in March 2002, the Regents agreed to add the “Plus” columns to the schedule which awarded an additional 2.5% to anyone who earned Tenure.

Thus, for FY02 someone who earned tenure moved up one step (2.5%), to the “+” column for their grade (2.5%) AND got 4% COLA.

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FY01-FY08: Starting Salaries (Col 3, Step 6)

From FY01 to FY08 there several COLAs.

Since each COLA is a multiplicative increase on the previous amounts, the cumulative effect is not additive, it is compounded.

For example:

(FY02 COLA)×(FY03 COLA) �= (1.04)(1.04) = 1.0816 -> 8.16%

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With the base salary increases from FY01-FY08, the starting salary offer for Col 3 Step 6 in the fall of 2007 (FY08) was $41,207, which was 20.31% higher than it was in 2000.

*For FY05, there was also an increase of $200 added to Col 1 Step 0, and that amount was compounded throughout the whole Step Schedule.

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**UCCSN was renamed to NSHE beginning with FY06.

FY09: Step Roll-Up

Since many NSHE faculty were approaching the top of the Schedule (Step 30), after a 4% COLA and an additional $200 base increase, the bottom four steps (0-3) were removed and four new steps were added to the top of the scale, and then everything was reindexed.

Nobody lost financial ground, but everyone’s Step level was reindexed to a lower number. This accomplished two things.

• A meritorious faculty member on Step 16 in FY08 would normally expect to move to Step 17 on the FY09 Schedule. With the Roll-Up, that step was renamed Step 13. That allowed for four Steps (and 2.5% Merit increases) for those who were at (or close to) Step 30 in FY08.
• It also raised the starting salaries. Keeping with our initial placement tracking, Col 3 Step 6 was increased from $41,027 in FY08 to $47,417 in FY09, which was an increase of 15.6%.

Unfortunately, this also resulted in faculty being hired with starting salaries that were greater than existing faculty on the same Column with the same YOE.

FY10-FY14: During the Recession

No COLAs were awarded in FY10-FY14. No Merit awards were available in those years, either. That meant faculty remained on the Step they were on in FY09.

Since new faculty were being placed onto the Step Schedule according to their YOE but existing faculty were not advancing Steps, an increasing number of faculty were not in the correct order, based on their YOE.

There were no COLA or merit awards in FY12-FY13, and faculty were also subjected to a 2.5% pay cut and a 2.3% furlough reduction. In FY14, the 2.5% pay cut was restored.

New faculty were hired at the reduced salaries in those years, but still placed on a Step corresponding to their YOE. This further exasperated the indexing/YOE compression problem.

In FY14, a “Salary Decompression” was done to reindex existing faculty. Substantial raises were awarded to those with 1-10 YOE, and meager raises were awarded to faculty with 11-22 YOE. Faculty with more YOE at CSN, for the most part, were not “compressed” or out of order and, thus, were unlikely to get a raise.

FY14: The New CC Salary Schedule

Effective July 1, 2013 (FY14), NSHE changed the Community College Salary Schedule from a Step Schedule (Steps) to the current Salary Grades (Bands), as per the NSHE Procedures and Guidelines (P&G) Manual, Chapter 3, Section 3.

The Columns were renamed to Grades, and the Schedule was formatted horizontally, instead of vertically. The Min values on the new Schedule were to be determined by indexing the Median values to 78% of the corresponding median at UNLV. This resulted in the Min values being 32% lower than the Medians.

FY14-FY22: Salary Changes & Stipends

As indicated earlier, in FY14, the Decompression Salary Study was done to alleviate the indexing and compression problems caused by the Step Roll-Up in FY09 and the Step Freezes from FY10-FY14. Faculty that were significantly compressed got substantial raises.

For FY16, a 2.5% Merit Raise was awarded to all faculty, and a 1% “Salary Increase” was also awarded. Essentially, that extra 1% was a COLA.

For FY17, the 2.3% furlough established in FY12 was eliminated and a 2% “Salary Increase” was also awarded. Again, that 2% increase was essentially a COLA.

A 3% COLA was awarded in each of FY18, FY19, FY20, and FY21.

From December 2020 through May 2021, a 4.6% furlough was implemented.

The 2020-2022 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) led to “a 1.75% base salary increase,” and “a one-time signing incentive equal to 0.25% of base salary.”

Also, as directed by the 2020-2022 CBA, a “Salary Equity Study” was completed in 2022 and applied retroactively to the 2021-2022 Academic Year (FY22) for some faculty members.

FY14-FY22: CSN Initial Placement

When the Band System was adopted in FY14, the NSHE Community Colleges were given the freedom to determine the starting salary offers by their own means, provided they fell between the Min and Median values on the Salary Bands (NSHE Code Title 4, Ch 3, Section 27).

CSN elected to mimic the old Step Schedule, using the established Min values as Step 0. For the increases for YOE, they increased YOE 1 by 2.5% over YOE 0, and then added that flat amount for each additional YOE.

Col (Grade) 3 Step 6 = $53,695

FY23-FY24: Slight Correction

During the 2022-2025 CBA negotiations, it was pointed out the steps for YOE should be 2.5% of the previous step, not 2.5% of just the first step.

That resulted in a corrected Initial Placement Table to be included in the 2022-2025 CBA, effective FY23.

Col (Grade) 3 Step 6 = $54,147

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FY23-FY24: Salary Increases & Stipends

NSHE Code, Title 4, Chapter 3, Section 50 dictates, effective FY23, “a performance pay pool of at least one percent (1.0%) for the purpose of awarding salary adjustments based on meritorious performance.” CSN’s Merit Policy dictates 1 share of the pool for Commendable and 2 shares for Excellent ratings.

For FY23, merit raises ($429.05/share) were awarded, a 1% COLA, and a 1% base salary increase in accordance with the 2022-2025 CBA were also awarded. Each bargaining unit member also received a one-time $2000 professional development stipend.

The 4.6% furlough that was implemented from December 2020-May 2021 was restored, as of December 15, 2022.

AB 268 (2023) provided two $500 "Retention Incentives" for FY23, disbursed on 3/30/23 and 6/30/23.

For FY24, merit raises ($442.29/share) were awarded and a 12% COLA were awarded.

AB 522 (2023) provided eight (four in each FY24 and FY25) Retention Bonuses of $250 each (to be disbursed on 9/30, 12/31, 3/31, and 6/15) and four Longevity Bonuses, as well.

FY15-FY24: Missing COLAs

The slight step correction aside, those starting salaries did not change since they were first implemented in FY14.

The adjacent table lists the COLA increases awarded to existing faculty since FY15 but not applied to the starting salaries, as well as their compounded deficiencies.

Again, since each COLA is a multiplicative increase on the previous amounts, the deficiencies are not additive, they are compounded.

(FY16 COLA)*(FY17 COLA) �= (1.01)(1.02) = 1.0302 = 3.02% Deficiency

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The starting salaries for Fall 2023 were 31.1625% deficient.

FY01-FY24: C3 S6 vs. % Inc vs. COLAs

2004* - Additional $200 Inc; 2008* - Step Roll-Up; 2011* - Pay Cut & Furlough; 2013* - Furlough Restored; 2014* - Change to Salary Bands; 2022* - Step Correction

FY15-FY24: COLAs vs. CPI-U (Inflation)

Source: https://www.bls.gov

Placement Corrected with Missing COLAs

Remember, prior to FY14, COLA increases adjusted every number on the Step Schedule.

If the COLA increases from FY15-FY24 had been applied to the CSN Initial Placement table, each number would have been increased by 31.1625%.

For our Initial Placement of a Masters Degree (Grade 3) with 6 YOE, ($54,147)(1.311625) = $71,021.

So, instead of $54,147, Col 3 Step 6 should have been $71,021 for FY24.

FY24 and Beyond: Longevity Payments

AB 522 (2023) contained provisions for semiannual “Longevity Payments” for those in NSHE for 8 or more consecutive years of service.

• 8 years of continuous service earned semiannual payments of $100, 9-14 years of continuous service saw each payment increase $25 for each year, 15-24 years of continuous service saw each payment increase $50 for each year, 25-30 years of continuous service saw each payment increase $75 for each year, For those with more than 30 years of continuous service, the payments were $1200. Table (courtesy of Ted Chodock)
• For example, an individual hired in 1996, should receive two payments of $975 in FY24 (27 YOE) and two payments of $1050 in FY25 (28 YOE)
• The Longevity Payments were codified into the P&G Manual, Chapter 3, Section 9, thus ensuring their continuation, indefinitely. The payments for faculty are issued every June 1 and December 1.
• The Payments are not added to the base salary and are not eligible for retirement deductions.

FY24: Initial Placement (Partial) Correction

The Fall 2023 Collective Bargaining (CB) negotiations resulted in the 12% COLA for FY24 being retroactively applied to the Initial Placement.

This immediately affected those hired in the Fall 23 term.

This was not the full 31.1625% deficiency, but it was a step in the right direction.

Col (Grade) 3 Step 6 = $60,645 �(a retroactive increase of $6,498)

With that 12% increase, the starting salaries were now 17.1094% deficient.

FY25: COLA and Band Adjustment

At the 12/1/23 Board of Regents Meeting, the Board approved an 11% COLA for FY25, effective 10/1/24.

Additionally, at that meeting, the Board also approved a 10% increase in the Salary Schedules.

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NOTE: Since the CBA negotiations resulted in a more substantial improvement to initial placement, the changes to the NSHE Academic Salary Schedule were appreciated, but inconsequential.

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FY25 & FY26: Initial Placement

The F23 Collective Bargaining (CB) negotiations resulted in ”all future COLAs” being applied to the Initial Placement.

With the 11% COLA scheduled for 10/1/24, the Initial Placement schedule should be as shown on the right.

Col (Grade) 3 Step 6 = $67,316*

*If the missing COLAs from FY15-FY23 (17.1094%) had been applied, that C3, S6 salary would be $78,833, after the 11% increase.

**This adjustment was applied on 10/1/24. For FY25 prior to 10/1, the Initial Placement matched the FY24 Schedule.

Contact

This presentation and data collection provided by CSN Math Professor Jim Matovina.

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jim.matovina@gmail.com

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• This presentation will continue to evolve.