2.12.1.1 Term Faculty Contract
2.12.1.2 Probationary and Tenure Contract Faculty
2.12.1.3 Faculty Changing from Administrative Contracts to Academic Contracts
2.12.2 Continuing Appointments
2.12.2.1 Salary Adjustments for Degrees and Promotion in Rank
2.12.2.3 Increases for Meritorious Performance
2.12.3.1 Salary Administration and the Salary Pool
2.12.3.3 Academic Daily Salary Rate Calculation for 9–Month Employees
2.12.5 Cancellation of Classes
For the purposes of this Manual, “salary” means the dollar amount specified on contracts of employment. The President is responsible for approving the salaries and salary adjustments and increases as determined by the Provos t and Vice President for Academic Affairs and based upon recommendations of Deans and Department Heads.
2.12.1 Initial Appointment
Salaries for academic faculty in their initial year of appointment shall be determined in accordance with the following guidelines:
2.12.1.1 Term Faculty Contract
The President, in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the appropriate Dean and Department Head, shall consider the qualifications of appointees to full–time term contracts and establish appropriate salaries. Part–time term contracts shall be issued in accord with established policy.
2.12.1.2 Probationary and Tenure Contract Faculty
The President, in consultation with the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the appropriate Dean and Department Head, shall determine initial salaries for probationary and tenure contract appointees based upon consideration of national salary data for ranks and disciplines as reported by Board of Supervisors and other agencies and upon salary comparisons with Southern Association of Colleges and Schools formula for peer institutions.
2.12.1.3 Faculty Changing from Administrative Contracts to Academic Contracts
Faculty employed initially on administrative contracts who change contract status in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.5 shall receive salaries commensurate with Board of Supervisors policy. Time spent as a member of administrative faculty shall not be considered probationary time unless so designated at the time of appointment.
2.12.2 Continuing Appointments
Salaries for academic faculty in other than their initial year of appointment shall be determined by the President in accordance with the following guidelines.
2.12.2.1 Salary Adjustments for Degrees and Promotion in Rank
Salary increases to be included in the base for subsequent years of employment shall be made for faculty members who advance in rank in accordance with the following priorities and in consideration of availability of funds:
- promotion to Assistant Professor: $1500
- promotion to Associate Professor: $2000
- promotion to Professor: $2500
Salary increases to be included in the base for subsequent years of employment shall be made for faculty members who earn advanced degrees in accordance with the following priorities and in consideration of availability of funds:
- Master’s plus 24: $500
- Master’s plus 48: $500*
- Ph.D. (or appropriate terminal degree): $1000
*For completion of two years (48–hours) or upon completion of the comprehensive general exam for the terminal degree.
Faculty who earn graduate credit in an area other than the teaching field or who hold an additional graduate degree in an area other than the major field of teaching shall not be eligible for educational pay increments.
Faculty are responsible for providing documentation.
2.12.2.2 Equity Adjustments
Based upon recommendations from the Faculty Senate Compensation Committee, Department Heads, Deans, the Vice President for Academic Affairs, and in consideration of the availability of funds, the President may authorize salary adjustments for continuing academic faculty members whose salaries are demonstrably below average salaries by rank or discipline as identified in reports such as those by SREB (Southern Regional Education Board) and other agencies, and/or comparisons with Board of Supervisors peer institutions and/or analysis of the staffing pattern of a department or college. Equity adjustments become a part of the base for subsequent years of employment.
2.12.2.3 Increases for Meritorious Performance
Nicholls State University provides a method of rewarding faculty members who display meritorious performance. The system (formerly known as the Incremental Pay System IPS) is a performance based incremental pay system that seeks to provide salary incentives to faculty for excellence in teaching, research, and service. Because merit pay is awarded based on a formative, calendar–year assessment, only faculty who have been employed for a calendar year (excluding the summer session) shall be eligible for merit pay (Section 2.10.3.1).
Based upon documented recommendations from Department Heads and Deans contained in annual performance reviews, the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall recommend that the President authorize salary increases for faculty members whose performance is determined jointly by the Head and Dean to be “meritorious.” Each college is responsible for defining standards for meritorious performance in accordance with policy contained in Section 2.9.1.
For faculty whose performance is determined by the Head and Dean to be acceptable although not meritorious, no salary increase shall be made. Increases for meritorious performance become a part of the base for subsequent years of employment and are to be calculated after salary adjustments for promotion and/or equity are made.
Complete information on incremental pay increases can be obtained from Department Heads or Deans.
2.12.3 Procedures
2.12.3.1 Salary Administration and the Salary Pool
Procedures for salary administration shall be developed in accordance with the following guidelines:
- Dollars available for salary adjustments and increases as allocated by the State of Louisiana shall constitute the “salary pool.”
- Funding priorities for salary pool dollars shall be
- educational increments
- promotion
- meritorious performance increases
- The percentages of the pool to be identified for faculty salary increases and the methods of distributing those increases to the colleges shall be determined by the President’s Cabinet after consultation with the Budget Committee.
- The President’s Cabinet shall allocate to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs the dollars available for salary increases and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs shall disseminate information regarding percentages of the pool and methods of distribution.
Deans, in consultation with Department Heads, shall determine faculty eligible for merit increases and shall inform the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs and the Director of Assessment and Institutional Research.
2.12.3.2 Salary and Pay Day
When faculty members are employed for the academic year (nine months or ten months) their total salary is divided by the actual days of the academic year. The paycheck will be the number of days in the pay period times the daily rate. Payment will be made on a biweekly basis paid from August through May or June. Faculty employed to teach summer school are paid for this service on a biweekly basis also. Twelve-month employees are paid on a biweekly basis 26 times per fiscal year.
Faculty members who resign at the end of the first semester will be paid for the actual days worked, up to and including official date of resignation.
Other services such as Direct Deposit are detailed in Section 5.8.1.1.1.
2.12.3.3 Academic Daily Salary Rate Calculation for 9–Month Employees
Academic year appointments are considered to be 9–month appointments, extending from mid–August to mid–May. This appointment is considered to be continuous from the beginning of the fall Faculty Institute through the spring commencement.
The academic daily rate is based on 195 days (9 months) at 8 hours per day (1,560 hours per year). For example,
9 month academic salary = $36,000
divided by 195 days = $184.62/daily rate
divided by 8 hours = $23.08/hourly rate
2.12.4 Summer Teaching
Summer employment is not guaranteed to faculty members. The use of faculty for summer school is contingent upon personnel requirements of the academic departments of the University.
Recognizing the impossibility of appointing all faculty members to the summer session, departmental guidelines for summer are generally followed. This system takes into consideration the instructional needs for the summer session, the fulfillment of the required academic achievements by the faculty member, and the individual’s contribution to the University program, as well as the desire for employment. The departments are charged with establishing rotational schedules for faculty members. Departmental guidelines are available through the Department Heads. These guidelines cannot be designed to exclude faculty beyond the first year of appointment.
Salaries for summer work shall be 14.8 percent for a full teaching load for a 7–week session or a pro rata share thereof. In cases of low enrollment courses, the college or the University may negotiate salary with individual faculty members.
The deans of the colleges transmit summer session personnel recommendations to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, who is the Director of the Summer Session, for incorporation in the Summer Session budget. The Summer Session Budget is recommended to the President for approval and submittal to the Board of Supervisors.
Summer teaching contracts shall be term contracts and shall be issued in accordance with the prevailing salary administration plan for summer compensation, as determined annually by the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, in consultation with the Academic Council, and recommended to the President for approval. Within five (5) working days of the President’s approval, the summer budget shall be made available to the faculty through the University Library.
2.12.5 Cancellation of Classes
Only the President of the University may cancel classes or close facilities because of circumstances beyond the University’s control that impair its ability to continue normal operations. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, inclement weather, natural disaster, national emergencies, or other circumstances beyond the University’s control. Official cancellation of classes shall not affect salaries or fringe benefits of academic faculty.
Changes to Section of Manual
| Effective Date | Origin | Change Form |
|---|---|---|
| 3.12.19 | Payroll | PPM change form 2.12.3.2 |
