Salary Adjustments for Academic Staff and Determination of Starting Salary for New Faculty

PDAD&C #28, 2002-2003

M E M O R A N D U M

TO: Principals, Deans, Academic Directors and Chairs
FROM: Vivek Goel, Vice-Provost, Faculty
DATE: November 21, 2002
RE: Salary Adjustments for Academic Staff and Determination of Starting Salary for New Faculty

NOTE: This memorandum supercedes PDAD&C #107, 1988/89 on Salary Adjustments for Academic Staff.

The University normally adjusts salaries of academic staff through settlements negotiated with the Faculty Association, which usually include across-the-board increases and the application of the PTR/merit scheme. In a limited number of cases, and only under exceptional circumstances, adjustments can be made outside of the salary cycle through a successful application by a division for a salary adjustment. In these cases requests can be made for three basic reasons:

  1. Merit-based retention adjustments will be allowed when there is an offer from a competitive peer institution to a faculty member whom we strongly wish to retain. When preemptive adjustments (that is before a faculty member has an offer) are proposed, we will expect a clear rationale that provides a basis for the convictions that the faculty member will be approached by peer institutions, which institutions these might be, and a justification for the anticipated amount of an outside offer.
  2. To provide a mechanism for rewarding outstanding individuals whose performance it has not been possible to recognize sufficiently by the application of the PTR/merit scheme. Adjustments in these cases are merit-based and they recognize an individual’s highly unusual accomplishments. Requests for salary anomaly adjustments will be considered solely in terms of the criteria of merit that are used in the PTR scheme in reference to the individual’s peer group. No requests for adjustment on these grounds will be considered for individuals whose PTR awards in the past have not been in the upper quartile of their unit and substantially higher than the median.
  3. To rectify mistakes in remuneration where a decision taken by an officer of the University in the past has inappropriately affected the salary of an individual; for example, where an administrative error resulted in an inappropriate salary. Such situations should be rare and the cost of the adjustment will be borne fully by the unit where the error was made.

Procedure

In order to establish the case for an adjustment, divisions are requested to provide the following information:

  • A letter from the unit head describing the rationale for the increase;
  • In the case of retention adjustments, a clear rationale that provides a basis for the convictions that the faculty member will be approached by peer institutions, which institutions these might be, and a justification for the anticipated amount of an outside offer;
  • A current CV of the individual;
  • A summary of the candidate’s PTR assessments for the last three years relative to the candidate’s pool (See note on samples below);
  • A standard salary curve for the entire unit mapping salaries against the age of each faculty member. (See note on samples below); and
  • A data table showing the name, rank, age, highest degree and year of conferral, and salary of each faculty member of the unit. (See note on samples below).

Note: A template spreadsheet to assist with the salary curve and data table can be accessed at:
http://www.aapm.utoronto.ca/academic-salary-administration#anomalysheet

Starting salaries for new faculty

For all appointments of Full Professors and all other appointments where the starting salary is above the budgeted amount for the position, the salary curve and data table noted above will be required as part of the appointment dossier.

Funding of salary adjustments

Please consult with your Division head regarding the funding of salary adjustments, central funding is only available in exceptional circumstances. Note that regardless of the source of funding for a salary adjustment, the approval of the Vice-President and Provost is required in all circumstances.