R-17, Memorandum of Understanding on the Procedures for Special Salary Adjustments and Bonus Payments
Special Salary Adjustments
The parties recognize that a rational salary system includes many elements, particularly where the appointment of academic professionals draws applicants from local, national, and international employment pools. The parties have agreed to the following principles when making special salary adjustments:
A. The salaries paid at the University of Hawai‘i should be competitive with those paid at peer institutions.
B. Members of the faculty need, and accept, the opportunity to be recognized for outstanding achievement in the profession. Special salary adjustments can provide a system that recognizes meritorious performance in teaching, research, and/or service.
C. The existence of salary differentials among faculty in a given discipline must be clearly attributable to academic credentials, rank, experience, years of service, and/or the individual’s academic and service accomplishments. Inequitable differentials caused by other factors should be eliminated.
D. Although there is no one field of study or academic discipline intrinsically more valuable than another, there is a need to address differentials in salaries required to retain faculty in specific fields or disciplines
E. Salary determination and placement must be free from biases, in accordance with Article II, Non- Discrimination.
Internal reallocation of budgeted resources to fund special salary adjustments shall not undermine the ability of the Departments or Divisions to carry out their educational missions.
Special salary adjustments will be made during the term of this Agreement only to prevent the erosion of the academic program or mission of the University. Even when otherwise justified, special salary adjustments to individuals will not be made when the cumulative impact of funding such adjustments, on students, faculty workload, and departmental/division resources, is deleterious to the University.
Bonus Payments
The parties further recognize that certain faculty achievements deserve to be recognized and rewarded through one-time bonus payments. Bonus payments are a means of recognizing outstanding achievement in the areas of teaching, research, and/or service. As with special salary adjustments, bonus payments shall be subject to the availability of funds and will not be made if there will be a resulting deleterious effect to the University. Requests and nominations for bonus payments shall be made in accordance with the procedures below.
Procedures
1. Merit, Equity, or Market
A. Faculty may apply for a special salary adjustment or bonus payment for merit, equity, or market by submitting a completed Special Salary Adjustment or Bonus Payment request form with supporting attachments to the respective Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs will then forward the request form to the appropriate Dean, Director, or designee, and a copy of the request form to the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (UHPA) within forty-five (45) calendar days upon receipt. Faculty may also be nominated for special salary adjustments and bonus payments.
B. All requests and nominations shall be brought before the Faculty Member’s department/division. All bargaining unit members in the department/division shall be given the opportunity to review the request and support or not support the request. The department/division position and comments shall be provided to the Dean, Director, or designee within forty-five (45) calendar days from the department/division receipt of the request and nomination. If no position and/or comments are offered by the department/division within the forty-five (45) calendar days from the department/division receipt of the request and nomination, the respective Dean, Director, or designee shall proceed without the department/division position and comments.
C. After consultation with the department, if applicable, the Dean, Director, or designee shall review the request and submit a recommendation to the appropriate Chancellor or Provost within forty-five (45) calendar days upon receipt or non-receipt of the department/division position and comments. The recommendation shall include a proposed method of funding the request and a general statement concerning the impact the funding of the request will have upon the programs, faculty workload, and department/division resources.
D. The Chancellor or Provost shall review the request and submit a recommendation to the President within forty-five (45) calendar days upon receipt of the Dean, Director, or designee recommendations. All requests shall be forwarded to the President, including those not supported for lack of funding or based on the evaluative review.
E. The President shall approve or deny all requests and nominations after consultation with the UHPA within forty-five (45) days upon receipt of the Chancellor or Provost recommendation. The President will secure the written concurrence of the UHPA on the request form before any adjustment or bonus is awarded. A copy of the completed request form will be transmitted by the President’s office to the Dean, Director, or designee and the Faculty Member.
F. All requests for Special Salary Adjustments or Bonus Payments for merit, equity, or market submitted by a Faculty Member to the Employer during the period between February 16th through November 15th shall be decided upon no later than the end of the following Spring semester. All requests for Special Salary Adjustment or Bonus Payments submitted by a Faculty Member to the Employer from November 16th through February 15th shall be decided upon no later than the end of the following Fall semester. All affected Faculty Members must be notified of the outcome of their SSA requests for merit, equity, or market with a copy to UHPA.
2. Retention
A. Faculty may apply for a special salary adjustment or bonus payment for retention by submitting a completed Special Salary Adjustment or Bonus Payment request form with supporting attachments to the appropriate Dean, Director, or designee and a copy of the request form to the University of Hawai‘i Professional Assembly (UHPA) within ten (10) calendar days upon its receipt.
B. All retention requests shall be brought before the Faculty Member’s department/division. All bargaining unit members in the department/division shall be given the opportunity to review the request and support or not support the request. The department/division position and comments shall be provided to the Dean, Director, or designee within five (5) working days from the department/division receipt of the request. If no position and/or comments are offered by the department/division within five (5) working days from the department/division receipt of the request, the respective Dean, Director, or designee shall proceed without the department/division position and comments.
C. Upon receipt, the Dean, Director, or designee shall review the request and submit a recommendation to the appropriate Chancellor or Provost within five (5) calendar days. The recommendation shall include a proposed method of funding the request and a general statement concerning the impact the funding of the request will have upon the programs, faculty workload, and department/division resources.
D. The Chancellor or Provost shall review the request and submit a recommendation to the President within five (5) calendar days upon receipt of the Dean, Director, or designee recommendation. All requests shall be forwarded to the President, including those not supported for lack of funding or based on the evaluative review.
E. The President shall approve or deny all requests for retention after consultation with the UHPA within five (5) days upon receipt of the Chancellor or Provost recommendation. The President will secure the written concurrence of the UHPA on the request form before any adjustment or bonus is awarded. A copy of the completed request form for retention will be transmitted by the President’s office to the Dean, Director, or designee and the Faculty Member.
3. Electronic Tracking System/Database
The Employer, through consultation with the UHPA, shall create an electronic tracking system and database of all special salary adjustments or bonus payments for merit, equity, market, or retention that shall be made readily available and accessible to UHPA.
