by Alicia Gibson
Assistant Managing Editor
The Board of Trustees approved compensation increases for all University of La Verne employees at its March 21 meeting.
Due to several budget cuts in past years, ULV employees have not received salary increases since July 1, 1996. The upcoming increase will take effect July 1, 1998.
A compensation task force appointed by President Stephen Morgan developed a formula about one and a half years ago, which is to be used to give salary increases to all employees when the funds are available.
The total amount put into the salary pool for these raises is $700,000, including benefits.
Oris Barber, director of Human Resources, a member of the task force, developed a method of how to allocate the available money.
The first project of this task force was to identify schools that ULV could compare itself to and determine how much of a raise to give. These schools are comparable to ULV by the sizes of their endowments and staffs, among other attributes.
The proposed salary increases for the 1998-99 year for faculty range from 2.37 to 5.73 percent; the classified/technical range is 3.08 to 5.42 percent and the administrative/professional range is 1.23 to 5.28 percent.
Through its research, the task force determined that these percentages should be granted in those ranges rather than granted as one flat rate.
When comparing ULV’s salaries to other schools, “it would be unfair to give a flat rate. Some categories are underpaid and others are rather equitable,” said Barber.
The percentage increases will give the University’s payroll a way to become comparable to those of other schools. Using this formula will get ULV there.
“The purpose of the formula is to give us a mechanism to use to get there, it may take a while, but we will get there,” said Barber.
Dr. Morgan feels that employees are pleased, but still wish for more.
“I think all of them wish they could get a larger increase, but are grateful for what they are getting,” said Dr. Morgan.
