The University of Alaska is undergoing its first-ever comprehensive salary and benefits review and pay equity study to optimize our internal equity, retention, and recruitment. The review has examined our compensation as it relates to labor markets, peer institutions, and equity within the faculty Classification Instructional Program (CIP) codes and staff job family classifications. Our consultants’ statistical analysis is finding some potential internal equity issues and, while on average our salaries are market competitive, some are below the standard market benchmark of � 10 percent of the market median.

The effects of our severe budget reductions over the last several years have impacted our ability to fund ongoing increases to our compensation and benefits package. Though our budgets are still very tight, and there is significant uncertainty about the budget going forward, I believe now is time to address compensation and benefits.

As we work toward developing an implementation plan based on the analysis, we have developed an estimate of the overall cost of making needed adjustments, though it will still be a few months before we are able to present detailed information.

A summary of the project and the proposed budget to fund adjustments is available for your information on the project website, alaska.edu/classification/compensation-review/index.xml, and included in the Board of Regents’ meeting materials. This information will be presented during the FY20 budget discussion at the November Board of Regents meeting, and the board’s approval will be requested.

If the Board of Regents approves the proposed budget, the funding request will go to the governor and then to the legislature. The proposal will be in two parts.

The first would be to remedy any potential pay equity gaps; likely, this would be made in the form of a supplemental budget request for immediate funding and implementation.
The second would be to fund market, inflation and pension adjustments; our plan is to phase in these adjustments annually over the next several years.

All of this, of course, is subject to funding, but we will work hard to make that happen. There is an FAQ that addresses many of the questions you may have at alaska.edu/classification/compensation-review/index.xml.

Additional updates and information will be available at that site as we move through the process.

The final draft of the FY20 budget is up for approval by the University of Alaska Board of Regents at its Nov. 8-9 meeting in 209 Butrovich on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The updated budget includes estimated compensation costs resulting from an ongoing market study and pay equity review. The FY20 budget includes a $31.5 million increase�over the current fiscal year for fixed costs increases, compensation, and strategic invesments for increasing enrollment, workforce and economic development, promoting the university’s global position in Arctic research and improving student success. The proposed budget also includes funding for additional Title IX and human resources offices to increase capacity and reduce response time to reports and incidents of misconduct, enhance prevention efforts and continue to grow a university culture of respect, safety and free expression.

President Johnsen will discuss the recent World Building exercise and UA’s 2040 vision, after which Dennis Jones and Aims C. McGuinness Jr. with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems will present information regarding effective board governance followed by a discussion of options and considerations pertinent to UA.

Other business on upcoming agendas include approving a policy that puts into place a protocol for delayed reports of misconduct; Title IX compliance update and review of Title IX scorecards; an update on the university’s timber sales; and progress toward developing a comprehensive workforce needs report. Regents also will be approving resolutions of appreciation for two board members nearing the conclusion of their terms, Deena Bishop and Jyotsna Heckman.

Regents will hold a public evening gathering from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Elvey Globe Room in Fairbanks on Thursday, Nov. 8.

Audit, academic and student affairs, and facilities and land management committees are meeting via video conferencing on November 1 and 2. The committee and full board meetings are streamed online. Watch live stream video of Board of Regents meetings from your computer or wireless device. http://www.alaska.edu/bor/live

All Board of Regents meeting agendas and materials are available at�http://www.alaska.edu/bor/agendas/.

The search for a new Chief Information Technology Officer is in its final stages, and an announcement is anticipated shortly. Once HR has finalized its process, and the appointment confirmed, an announcement will be shared with the university community and posted to the website at https://www.alaska.edu/hr/it-transition/.