Appalachian staff members
awarded equity-based salary increases
Jennifer Brannock Faculty Senate Beat
Vice
Chancellor of Business Affairs Jane P. Helm and Human Resources
Director Len W. Johnson met with Chancellor Francis T. Borkowski
and other vice chancellors last month and awarded equity-based salary
increases to several employees on campus.
The staff equity increases were distributed based on years of service
to Appalachian State University in relation to the amount of money
those employees should be making.
Johnson said the administration had to wait until now to award equity-based
increases due to a restriction placed on the university system by
the North Carolina Board of Governors (BOG). Johnson said he felt
the BOG restriction might have been based on incorrect money distribution
practices at other universities, though no specific reason was given.
“[The increase] comes at a very good time, of course, here
at the end of the year before Christmas,” Johnson said. “That
increase was built right into their base [salary] and is an important
financial boost for many of our lower-paid staff especially.”
The BOG’s decision to cut salary pay increases from the budget
this year elicited various responses from universities across the
state, such as the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s
staff salary fund-raiser.
As of November, UNCG Faculty Senate Chairperson Dr. Ben Ramsey said
the faculty was on schedule to deliver the raised funds this month
and had encountered few legal difficulties with the fund-raising
process. Ramsey was not available for an update on the fund-raiser
at press time.
Other schools, such as the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and the University
of North Carolina at Wilmington, have taken their cue from UNCG
and attempted to implement a similar effort on their own campuses.
Appalachian State University’s Faculty Senate passed legislation
in October stating their support of any administrative decision
to increase staff pay wages. The legislation also called upon the
BOG to own up to their responsibility to properly compensate state
employees in the university system.
Appalachian’s Faculty Senate recently sent this bill to the
BOG but have yet to receive a reply.
“I feel like the Faculty Senate really cares about the staff,”
said Dr. Martha A. Marking, chairperson of Faculty Senate’s
Welfare and Morale Committee. “We’re going to do what
we can to help [the staff], but it’s ultimately the legislature’s
responsibility to give staff pay raises. We should not leave our
staff out on a ledge, though.”
Staff Council President Peggy P. Ellis said she feels the administration
and the Faculty Senate are making an admirable effort to assist
the staff on Appalachian’s campus.
“I think [the administration] really is trying to promote the
staff in a good way,” Ellis said. “I spoke to the chancellor
about this recently, and it really seemed to be a big burden on
his heart.”
The Faculty Senate and Staff Council plan to continue to work together
to improve salary conditions for the staff throughout the coming
semester. Further opinions on the administration’s efforts
will be discussed at today’s Staff Council meeting.
