This paper describes the framework and processes of a multi-faceted salary equity initiative in which a team of administrators and faculty developed a process to conduct annual salary equity studies for faculty and disseminate findings to the campus. Program elements include a request for proposals and associated evaluation rubric, executive summaries, campus presentations of salary studies, and workshops for faculty and salary decision-makers to increase understanding of the university’s faculty compensation system. As a result of this program university-level salary studies continue, faculty and administrators have embarked on additional collaborations to address faculty salary, and transparency of university pay practices has increased. This paper offers lessons learned and tangible steps for stakeholders at other campuses seeking to implement a salary equity initiative, including organizational documents and guidelines.
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Building Community Understanding of Institutional Compensation Systems: An ADVANCE Partnership Project
Institutional structures and systems of power influence salary outcomes and pay practices, which in turn are closely related to the quality of work life, informing our knowledge of what (and who) is important to the organization. This paper reports on a newly awarded NSF ADVANCE Partnership project that aims to significantly expand knowledge of best practices for faculty compensation to a broader community in higher education and provide critical insights to guide compensation practices. The project’s objective is to improve institutional understanding and influence actions regarding pay equity through broader comprehension of compensation structures. Even when controlling for a wide range of demographic and background variables, women earn less than men, and women of color experience an even wider wage gap. In post-secondary education wage gaps persist among faculty, particularly at institutions with the highest levels of research. Project activities have three aims: First, engage administrative units (Human Resources, Institutional Research, Diversity/Inclusion, Legal, and Academic Affairs) in a collaborative relationship supported by university leadership. Second, enhance pay decision-makers’ understanding of and basis for pay decisions, and their ability to communicate to individuals how their pay is determined. Third, increase faculty knowledge of institutional pay practices while emphasizing the importance of inclusion and institutional values. Expected outcomes from this work include improvements in institutional policies and practices, faculty perceptions of pay equity, leadership skills of pay decision-makers, and institutional engagement beyond the project partners. The project involves collaborations with three university partners, two national associations, and two NSF INCLUDES projects.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2121930
- PAR ID:
- 10414470
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ASEE annual conference exposition
- ISSN:
- 2153-5965
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- https://peer.asee.org/40553
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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