Merit calculations will be based upon the criteria from the Appointment, Tenure and Promotion Document approved by the Department of Communication, April 28, 2006, as evidenced and reported in the Annual Report of the faculty person concerned and pursuant to the salary allocation guidelines in effect during the particular salary cycle.
Weights of Activities for Faculty Ranks
| Teaching | Scholarship | Service | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecturer | 70% | 30% (combined scholarship & service) | |
| Instructor | 70% | 15% | 15% |
| Assistant 3/3 | 55% | 25% | 20% |
| Associate/Full 4/4 | 60% | 20% | 20% |
| Associate/Full 3/3 | 50% | 30% | 20% |
Merit Calculation Process
Faculty will submit to the chair annually a list of their activities for the previous year, broken down by area of activity (teaching, scholarship, and service) and by ranking (superior, outstanding, and satisfactory), using the Department's Definition of Scholarship and Specific Policies Relative to Appointment and Promotion document. Based on this information, the chair will rate each faculty member's performance in teaching, scholarship, and service (in the case of Lecturers, one rating will be assigned to service and scholarship combined) on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being poor, 5 being excellent). Multiplying this rating by the weight of each category listed above will give a final overall rating (maximum of 5, minimum of 1) for the faculty member. For example, an assistant professor who performs at the highest level in all three areas would receive the following score: (5 x .55) + (5 x .25) + (5 x .20) = 5. A full professor on a 3/3 load who performed at a mid-level in teaching and a low level in service and scholarship would receive the following score: (3 x .5) + (1 x .3) + (1 x .2) = 2.
The chair will then group the faculty into approximate thirds and allocate merit raises as follows:*
- 60% to the top third,
- 30% to the middle third, and
- 10% to the remaining third
* The Department recognizes that merit pay is designed to reward meritorious effort. Consistent with that recognition, the chair has the right to exclude a faculty member from consideration for merit pay based on legitimate administrative reasons (performance, disciplinary, etc.). The chair also has the right to consider previous years' performance when warranted.