Hussman School of Journalism and Media: Faculty Salary Policy

This policy establishes the principles and criteria the dean uses to fairly determine faculty salaries at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, ensuring allocations are based on merit and equity. It also outlines the role of an elected faculty committee that provides oversight and transparency in the salary determination process.

Unit Policy

Title

Hussman School of Journalism and Media: Faculty Salary Policy

Introduction

Purpose

This policy establishes the principles and criteria the dean uses to fairly determine faculty salaries at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, ensuring allocations are based on merit and equity. It also outlines the role of an elected faculty committee that provides oversight and transparency in the salary determination process.

Scope

This policy applies to all faculty members at the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Policy

The School is committed to conducting fair evaluations of faculty members with criteria applied evenly and to ensure that salary allocations are justified on the grounds of merit and/or equity.

1. The dean determines faculty salaries in the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media by taking into account the following factors:

   1. Both long- and short-term indicators of merit;
   2. Multiple criteria of merit, including scholarship, teaching, service, innovation, creativity and participation in the life of the School as evidenced in materials such as the faculty members' curriculum vitae and teaching evaluations;
   3. Attention to actual salary levels, not only percentage amounts of increases;
   4. Inequities resulting from changing market conditions, inadequate funding, discrimination (if any), compression because of disparity between internal rates of increase and competing offers, and inappropriate disparities arising from other sources;
   5. For faculty members who also serve as administrators, such as associate deans or chairs of special programs, excellence in performance of administrative duties with regard to the portion of salary not attributable to regular faculty duties;
   6. No discrimination on the basis of tenure track, be it Research or Professional Practice track.

   The faculty will elect a committee of four faculty members who will serve two-year staggered terms to begin on July 1 of each year. The committee will elect its own chair. Representation will come from full, associate and assistant professor ranks.

2. The committee has these functions:

   • shall ensure that the written salary policy is on file and is available for convenient review by the faculty.
   • will receive from the dean a list of all faculty members, their salary increases and percentage increases for the current fiscal year. This happens as soon as possible after raises have been approved.
   • may review salary increases and may consult the dean about any trends that do not appear to follow the written salary policy.
   • after consultation with the dean may indicate to the dean any perceived inconsistencies but will not serve as an in-house grievance committee.
   • will keep on file up-to-date information about salaries at peer universities and in the College of Arts & Sciences and other professional schools on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus.
3. The committee and the dean invite faculty members to submit at any time comments and recommendations on the overall salary policy. Formal and informal discussion are appropriate in regard to development and refinement of the School's faculty salary policy.
4. At the faculty meeting where committee members are elected each year, the faculty will review the written faculty salary policy to determine whether revisions in the policy are needed to ensure that it remains consistent with general faculty salary principles in effect within the University as a whole. In the interim the dean and the committee may consult to determine whether changes in the School policy are needed. Suggestions will be brought to the faculty. Any revisions in the policy will be voted on by the faculty.
5. Each faculty member is encouraged to discuss with the dean on an individual basis his or her progress relating to merit factors. Any faculty member who has a specific complaint about his/her salary adjustment should follow the established University grievance procedure.

Addendum

The N.C. General Assembly determines pay raises for state employees (including university faculty and staff) as part of its budget process. This is supposed to happen by July 1 each year, but it is often later. The UNC Office of the President directs individual campuses about raises, and the UNC-Chapel Hill Provost tells the dean how much money is available for raises that year. The dean determines raises in accordance with the principles stated above and in consultation with the academic dean and associate dean for business and finance and reports those raises to the provost. When those raises have been approved by the provost, the dean informs faculty members by letter.

After that notification, the dean meets with the advisory committee to advise them of the raises and how they were determined.

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Name: Harsha Gangadharbatla, Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs

Telephone: (919) 962-1204

Email: gharsha@unc.edu