Office of the Provost

Dear Colleagues,

I write to clarify the guidance you received from the Provost’s Office regarding merit and other salary increase categories for AAUP bargaining unit members and law faculty. This message is sent to deans, department heads, associate deans, regional campus directors, and other unit directors with personnel who fall under this guidance.

In years when there is merit afforded by the University and in line with the AAUP collective bargaining agreement, the Provost’s Office distributes guidance setting the parameters and process in which departments and deans will make merit recommendations.

The FY23 merit guidance sets the merit review period from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 (one year). This decision takes into account the fact that a 2% performance-based award has been retroactively provided to all eligible employees to account for performance in FY21 (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021).

Although the performance component of the retrospective increase does recognize meritorious achievement for all eligible employees, I have heard from departments and deans who feel that the decision to set the review period at one year misses the opportunity to recognize the outstanding achievements of our faculty in the previous evaluation period, particularly given the ways in which COVID had varying impacts upon different disciplines. In response to this concern, I am open to allowing those departments (or schools, in non-departmental units) to consider a two-year review period (July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022). The decision to do so must be approved by a majority of eligible department voters, consistent with the way in which department governance documents are approved.

I realize the merit decision-making process is already underway and that the deadline for departments to submit recommendations to the dean is fast approaching. I encourage deans to work with departments to ensure they have the appropriate time to make adjustments as needed. Deans may alter their deadlines internally to provide for additional flexibility.

Sincerely,
Anne

Anne D’Alleva

Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs