Annual Increase Distribution Plan – FY24

Faculty & Staff

We are pleased to announce the distribution of annual salary increases.  One of the pillars of Marymount University’s strategic plan is to Invest in People & Places. One measure of success for that is: Offer faculty and staff salaries in the top quartile of their fields. Due to the collective success we have had this year in recruiting and retaining students, our Board of Trustees has allocated funds to be distributed for employee salary increases, effective January 1, 2024, as part of a multi-year push towards achieving our top quartile goal. 

Human Resources created a three-year process and a plan for using these funds in a way that, while emphasizing performance, will bring the average of all faculty and staff salaries into the 55th percentile in FY24.  With continued success in providing an exceptional student experience this plan calls for all faculty and staff salaries to reach, on average, the 65th percentile in FY25 and the 75th percentile – the top quartile –  in FY26.

The Process

Faculty and Staff salaries were compared with the College and University Professional Association (CUPA) annual survey, with a goal for Fiscal Year 24 to reach an average 55% benchmark. Competitive compensation for faculty and staff was based on:

  • Market – CUPA benchmarks to compare with peers
  • Same discipline and same rank for faculty 
  • Comparable institutions and similar locations

Using the established formula of allocating 25% of year-over-year Net Tuition Revenue (NTR) to fund salary increases, an overall pool of $2.2 million was created. Doing the analysis, we found employee salaries ranged from between 56% and 191% of the target (55th percentile of CUPA).  Our goal is to have all employees at or above 80% of the target. To achieve this two (2) types of increases are being put forward this year: a base increase and a merit/market increase.

Eligibility

All full-time faculty, staff, and part-time staff employees who were active on October 2, 2023, are eligible. This date was chosen as Snapshot Day in order to include all employees who have completed their ninety (90) days before the effective date of the increases. The employee’s base salary on this day is what is used for all calculations.  

Criteria

  • All eligible employees will receive a 2% base increase (the first of the two types of increases being awarded).
  • Full-time employees hired before July 1, 2023 who have a current performance evaluation rating on file with Human Resources will receive a merit/market increase based upon their performance rating and where they stand in the market.

Note:  Employees who received a salary increase after October 2nd are not eligible for either the base increase of 2% or for a merit/market increase.  

Merit/Market Increase

For the Merit/Market increase, one matrix was created for staff and another for faculty using a Comparative Ratio (Compa-Ratio) along with the evaluation ratings.  The Compa-Ratio measures how close a salary is to the target (55th percentile of CUPA).

Each matrix creates a structure to recognize employees with higher performance scores while helping to ensure that employees with a Compa-Ratio less than 80%, and less than our target overall, are moved closer to the market goal.  

The Details

  • Increases are effective January 1, 2024
  • The pay date is January 26, 2024
  • An email will be sent to all employees receiving an increase around December 15. It will outline both their percentage increase and their new base salary.

We are committed to continually reviewing employee salaries and working towards the goals of our strategic plan by moving all employees closer to market rates.

The Board of Trustees, President Becerra and her Cabinet, and the Deans thank you for your commitment and hard work to make Marymount University the best place to be!