Dear Colleagues,
Please find a revised instructor salary schedule, following a request from the Provost's Office that A&S revise the schedule.
As I'm sure you are aware, the revisions have generated a fair amount of apprehension among our instructors. There are a few new aspects to the schedule that should be highlighted.
1. The draft includes two schedules, enabling departments that face instructor shortages and high competition to pay more. The schedule regularizes compensation to $6,000 per course, differing from the current system (presented at the end of the document).
2. Only new instructor appointments fall on the schedule. Departments can utilize the schedules for reappointments, but we do not recommend adjusting salaries down for current instructors.
3. All positions are classified as "full-time" by campus, and thus generate full benefits and merit consideration. Note that the schedules cover 50% - 100% time appointments. This simply reflects the differing number of courses, and is an attempt to fit teaching commitment to compensation in a regular and predictable fashion.
It is important to note that this adjustment will cause concern among instructors. However, because all appointments in the schedules are classified by PBA as full-time (with full benefits and merit consideration), instructors can now add duties for compensation to increase their pay. For example, an instructor on a 75% appointment can add advising for another 25% appointment, bringing pay and time to 100%. As a result, overloads are not permitted. It can be noted that the previous system did allow overloads, but these overloads were not subject to merit increases. The new schedule means that all instructor activity can be considered for merit increases. While this change will result in less pay for those instructors currently teaching overloads, the fact that their full salaries are eligible for merit increases can be expected to yield higher compensation after 3-4 years of service.
4. Appointment percentages allow flexibility for departments to assign "other instructional duties" and keep an instructor on the schedule. For example, an instructor can be assigned 6 courses, and then can be assigned other instructional duties "worth" a course or courses. This would generate a higher percentage assignment, and more compensation. Essentially, the system parallels "course releases" that are available to tenure-track and tenured faculty.
5. Departments can take advantage of an incentive program that uses cost savings from the schedule to encourage high quality teaching. This program is optional.
We are considering this to be a draft statement, pending feedback from our departments and programs. In addition, we have developed a survey form that allows immediate and consolidated feedback on the proposed schedule. We welcome feedback, and recommend that you use the webform to register suggestions or concerns. In addition, we can devote time during the Chairs and Directors meeting on April 16 to discuss the proposal further. Please feel free either to e-mail your comments and suggestions or to set up a meeting to discuss the schedule.
Thanks very much for your attention to this,
Steve
Steven R. Leigh, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Arts and Sciences
Professor, Department of Anthropology
University of Colorado Boulder
And the text of the draft proposal...
Proposed revision to Arts and Sciences instructor appointment guidelines of April 8, 2013
1. Overview
The College of Arts and Sciences proposes two schedules to set instructor salaries, including one for arts, humanities, and most social sciences (Group A) and a schedule for natural sciences and selected social sciences (Group B). The college will help identify a schedule for each department.
The schedules apply to new instructor appointments, and to instructors at the time of reappointment: they do not apply to instructors currently under appointment. Instructors currently under appointment and paid above these levels are not expected to fall on this schedule upon appointment renegotiation.
2. Instructor compensation
Schedules
For the base schedule (Group A), a full-time instructor can be employed at a rate of approximately $6,000 per course for up to 8 courses per academic year ($48,000 maximum in Group A). The schedule defines pay ranges and percentage appointment levels by number of courses taught. The goal is to provide academic units flexibility in setting compensation, given that instructor qualifications and experience vary. In addition, not all units require 8 courses per instructor. Thus, units should set instructor compensation according to the number of courses needed, the experience of the instructor, and the degree to which other instructional duties are required (see below). For example, a unit can set salary for an instructor teaching 6 courses per year anywhere within the defined range, with similar discretion for other intervals.
Academic units have the option to assign other instructional duties in lieu of a class section or course. This option is reserved for cases where other duties directly support delivery of instruction. For example, other instructional duties could include coordinating a set of sections, laboratory coordination, laboratory management, development and delivery of online materials that serve a set of course sections, or other such activities. Very large courses may also be eligible for course commitment adjustments, as would courses that require highly specialized resources. Other instructional duties include only duties directly related to teaching. Research or other activities, including personnel functions that might otherwise be conducted by staff, such as advising, are not included in this category. Upon renewal of current appointments, departments and programs have the authority to set expectations for other instructional duties. In the interests of consistency, units should check with an associate dean as to whether or not other duties qualify as instructional.
Appointment percentages and full-time status
All appointments are eligible for benefits and are designated by PBA as a full-time appointments. Specifically, all appointments in the schedule, regardless of percentage, generate full benefits and full merit consideration. This provides flexibility to instructors and departments because it enables instructors to accept other positions on campus for separate, additional compensation (e.g., advising or other academic duties). For example, an instructor can be appointed for 6 courses at 75% and accept another position (e.g., advising) for the remaining 25%.
Overloads
Overloads are not allowed under these schedules. Current instructors with less than 8 courses who are teaching overloads totaling 8 courses should be placed on the schedule at 8 courses. Note that this may reduce compensation for those instructors currently teaching six courses with two overload classes at $4300 each. However, the $8600 now allotted to those instructors is not subject to merit evaluation. With an 8-course commitment, the entire salary (e.g., $48,000) is eligible for merit increases.
Schedules and examples
In this system, for example, an instructor assigned to teach 6 courses could be paid within the interval provided for 7 courses on the condition that other instructional duties essentially generate the same time commitment as a course. The same logic applies to other salary categories. Instructors with different levels of experience can be paid higher rates within intervals for other instructional duties as well. For instructors teaching less than 8 courses, other academic duties could be used to bring the percent appointment to 100%, should that be desirable.
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Group B: Natural Sciences, Selected Social Science Departments (all full-time appointments)
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Number of Courses
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Salary Range
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Percent Appointment
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4 courses
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$26,100-31,900
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50%
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5 courses
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$32,000-39,000
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62.5%
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6 courses
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$40,000-44,000
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75%
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7 courses
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$44,100-48,000
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87.5%
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8 courses
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$48,100-54,000
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100%
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Group A: Arts, Humanities, Selected Social Science Departments (all full-time appointments)
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Number of Courses
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Salary Range
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Percent Appointment
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4 courses
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$23,000-28,900
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50%
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5 courses
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$29,000-35,000
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62.5%
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6 courses
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$36,000-40,000
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75%
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7 courses
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$40,100-44,000
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87.5%
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8 courses
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$44,100-48,000
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100%
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The second schedule (Group B) recognizes higher demand for instruction in science fields, including selected social sciences. The principles for appointments match those for the Group A. Units are encouraged to set salary according to instructor qualifications. A newly hired beginning instructor should not be paid as much as an instructor with years of experience for the same number of courses.
3. Pilot program: Incentive for utilizing the range within each interval
The College would like to implement a pilot program to incentivize departments and programs to account for instructor qualifications by establishing a bonus pool using the difference between expenditures on instruction and the current per course rate (up to a maximum of $3000.00). For example, the current rate for 6 courses is $40,000.00. If a department or program hires an instructor for 6 courses at $38,000.00, the unit will receive $2,000.00 that can be used to distribute as one-time bonus funds available to faculty members for exceptional performance in undergraduate instruction. Both tenure-track and instructor rank faculty are eligible for bonuses
4. Credit Hours
The table is based on 3-credit hour courses. For courses less, or more, than 3 credits, the % FTE and salary are to be pro-rated. Check with an associate dean on prorating.
5. Merit evaluation weights: 85% instruction, 15% service.
Our goal is to incentivize high quality instruction. The availability of “other instructional duties” provides opportunities to clarify and specify other duties that might previously have been considered “service.” Faculty Affairs considers these weights relevant only to merit evaluation, not to actual time spent in service activities. These weights do not apply to instructors currently under appointment. Other instructional duties, if desired, should be assigned upon appointment renewal.
Figure 1: Blue lines and symbols show the existing payment schedule. The red line and symbols show compensation at $6000.00 per course. The proposed schedule allows salaries within the boundaries of these lines below 6 courses, while allowing compensation on or above the red line for 7 and 8 courses.
Current schedule
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Academic Year Load
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FTE
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% Time
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% Teaching
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% Service
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AY 12-13 Salaries
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8 courses
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1
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100%
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95%
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5%
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$42,000
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7 courses
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1
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100%
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85%
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15%
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$41,000
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6 courses
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1
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100%
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75%
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25%
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$40,000
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5 courses
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0.83
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83%
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75%
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25%
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$33,200
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4 courses
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0.67
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67%
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75%
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25%
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$26,800
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3 courses
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0.50
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50%
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75%
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25%
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$20,000
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