Our college is divided into four departments. By and large we maintain some degree of autonomy within our departments, but the department chairs do have to reach a consensus opinion on certain matters.
One of the matters occupying our attention this summer is the distribution of a recent raise. We were given a recent 5.0 % raise, our second raise in the last in seven years. Due to the infrequency (and minimal amounts) of these raises, the distributions are hotly contested.
Our first step is to determine the amount which should go toward cost of living and the amount which should go toward merit. We were told that half of the 5.0% had to be cost of living, so that gave us 2.5% to divide for merit.
So how do we determine merit?
Every year, each faculty member fills out a lengthy report detailing our productivity in the trinity of acadmic life: the areas of instruction, research, and service. Years back, college leadership devised a sheet with point values for various activities in these three areas. (E.g. X points for a paper at a national conference, Y points for serving on a university committee, etc.) Each person then tabulates a total for the year. Chairs and the Dean then look over the reports to make sure that there are no shenanigans. (Ironically for faculty who despise grade inflation, merit inflation is alive and well!).
Then we list the numbers and divide them into upper, middle, and lower sections. The upper third gets the highest merit raise, the middle section gets the average merit raise and the lower third gets the lowest.
Sounds good on paper, right?
2 comments:
I picture a giant, brick-and-mortar anthill, getting poked by a big stick. I'm fascinated, but I can afford to be, since I don't have to deal with it.
Probably 90% of the time the Chairs are on the same page. The other 10% of the time we fight over what's best for the college.
Usually each chair agitates on behalf of their own department (which is of course as it should be).
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