Academic Council April 17, 2012 Minutes

Dean Skerrett called the meeting to order at 10:32 a.m. The minutes of the April 3, 2012 meeting were approved. 

All proposals on the April 17, 2012 consent agenda were approved.

Discussion agenda

Benchmarking- Steve Allred

Dean Skerrett introduced provost Steve Allred and thanked him for attending the meeting.  Dr. Allred informed Council that the benchmarking study and proposal for a salary allocation has been a work in progress for over a year’s time, not only in Arts & Sciences, but also across all schools. For Arts & Sciences, it was decided to benchmark faculty salaries against the median of the average salaries for each rank in the top fifty national liberal arts colleges.  Projected FY13 salaries by rank were used for targets. After comparison, it was determined that no cost of living adjustment would be required.  A comparison also revealed that level of benefits is appropriate.  

In the A & S dean’s proposal, sixty percent of A&S faculty members will receive an allocation.  No assistant professors will fall below 90% of the peer target.  Faculty members in any rank who make over 110% of the peer target are ineligible for an allocation.  Dean Skerrett focused allocations on faculty members who have strong 5-year average merit scores but make below 90% of the peer target at rank.  Allocations were sensitive to variations in 5-year average merit scores, with higher allocations made to faculty members with higher 5-year average merit scores.

Moving forward, there will be a periodic review of faculty compensation by the Board of Trustees in comparison with the benchmark targets. 

The dean’s office will work over the summer to rebuild the FY13 budget and the budget will be presented at the first Academic Council meeting next semester. 

Merit Review Process

Dean Skerrett distributed handouts pertaining to the annual review process proposal. After months of meetings and discussion, it was clear to the dean that most faculty members did not want a simple additive model for assessing overall merit scores.  A proposal for revising the annual review process will be presented at the A&S faculty meeting on April 19^th, 2012. The faculty will vote by electronic ballot. 

The meeting adjourned at 12:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Zandria Ivy