Out-of-Cycle Salary Increase Requests for Faculty

This procedure outlines the process for permanent "out-of-cycle" increases to base salary for EPA faculty employees.

"Out-of-cycle" increases are adjustments to base salary excluding the normal EPA annual raise process (ARP), a salary supplement (not part of base salary) or from a job change resulting from either a competitive recruitment or waiver of recruitment. 

Out-of-cycle requests should have a specific justification and should be non-routine in nature. It is preferred that departments plan for and use the EPA annual raise process (ARP) to implement salary adjustments for EPA faculty employees.

The following are justifiable reasons to propose an out-of-cycle salary adjustment:

• correction of an administrative error
  
  
• to recognize permanent, newly added duties which are substantive in nature (temporary additional duties are compensated using an administrative salary supplement and not a permanent adjustment to base salary)
  
  
• to address documented salary equity issues including those caused by the salary of a newly appointed employee within a work unit.  Requests to address salary equity issues should briefly demonstrate the specific inequity based on the relative job level, education, credentials, and/or experience of the affected employees.  Equity issues may be addressed either out of cycle or in the ARP process at the discretion of the department head or other administrative approval authority.
  
  
• as a retention offer for an employee who has a documented, confirmable salary offer from an outside institution.  Out-of-cycle retention adjustments should be accompanied by a formal offer on institution letterhead from the outside institution.

Documents required: 

• Recommendation for EPA Out-of-Cycle Salary Increase
• Memorandum on letterhead addressed to the Office of the Provost justifying the request  
• BOT Salary Increase Form (increases 10% or greater)
• Personnel Action Requiring Approval of the Board of Governors [BOG form] (increases 15% or greater AND $10,000 and greater)

Please note that calculations of the percentage (%) increase amount are based on the employee's previous June 30 base salary and not their July 1 or current salary.

Required documentation must be attached to an EPAWeb Salary/FTE Change action routed through normal administrative channels electronically to the Office of the Provost.  A hardcopy of the EPAWeb action and attachments must be forwarded to the Office of the Provost in addition to electronic transmittal.

No reporting or approval from the President or Board of Governors is necessary for:

• an increase resulting from a change in contract period, (e.g., 9 months' service to 12 months' service according to institutional policies so long as the monthly increase is not 15% or more); or
  
  
• A temporary administrative supplement (such as for advisers, department chairs, assistant department chairs, etc.) that does not change the annual base salary rate.  It is anticipated that such increases will be associated with persons given new or additional assignments or changes of duty; or
  
  
• An increase in an EPA salary, less than 15%, paid entirely from grants or contracts or other non-appropriated funds, such as an increase associated with an anniversary date of employment or of the contract(s) and grant(s) from which the salary is funded.

Except when correcting an administrative error or other exceptional circumstances, out-of-cycle salary increases are authorized only on a current and not a retroactive basis.

Actions requiring either BOT or BOG approval may not be effective until the day following the final Board approval.  For example, if BOT meets on 1/15, an action requiring BOT approval may not have an effective date earlier than 1/16. If BOG approval is also required for this action, and the BOG approves the action on 2/18, the earliest effective date for the action is 2/19.  Please take into account the Board approval dates when determining the effective date for your proposed increases for actions that require this level of approval.

A current schedule of submission deadlines and approval dates for actions requiring BOT and/or BOG approval is included in the related documents section of this procedure and is updated annually.