Members of the University of Colorado Staff Council met last week for a mostly information meeting at the University of Colorado Denver where they heard updates on the merit pay system, the CU Advocates program, state funding\u00a0 for higher education, and Boulder\u2019s administrative leave policy that addresses school and volunteer activities.<\/p>\n
Gov. John Hickenlooper\u2019s budget recommendations for 2013-14 include pay changes for classified employees. The governor asked for a 1.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and a pool of funds equivalent to 1.5 percent of payroll to reward top performers. (The Joint Budget Committee later recommended that the COLA increase be 2 percent.)\u00a0 The state also wants to ensure that employee salaries are at least in the minimum range of the prevailing market.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce you are at market pay, if you are a competent performer, than you are being paid appropriately for your job,\u201d said E. Jill Pollock, vice president for employee and information services. Extraordinary performances would be eligible for merit increase pay that may or may not add to base-building pay.<\/p>\n
While the university isn\u2019t required to follow the state\u2019s merit plan if approved by the legislature, Pollock said, \u201cWe are choosing to follow it because we think it\u2019s a good one. This will be the first time classified staff have received an increase in four years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollock also discussed tuition benefit recommendations that were received from staff and faculty councils. Both councils said improvements to the benefit might include:<\/p>\n
Staff council also recommended: fees charged for taking classes be eliminated, some extended study programs be included in the program, other family members (besides dependents) be allowed to use the benefit and unused credits be allowed to roll over.<\/p>\n
Faculty council also suggested that when both parents are employed by CU, a single dependent could use both benefits or up to 18 credits per year, and dependents could use the credits toward graduate-level courses. (Currently, only employees can use the credits for those classes.)<\/p>\n
Pollock said she will talk with university financial officers in March about the benefit, and acknowledged that some proposals, including offering discounted fees for classes, are a possible discussion point.<\/p>\n
She said a total compensation package for employees \u2014 usually salary and benefits \u2014 might also include other rewards, especially professional development, including tuition benefits. \u201cThere\u2019s no reason why we couldn\u2019t differentiate ourselves by being the learning institution for employees as well as students.\u201d<\/p>\n
One impediment to enhanced benefits is a tight budget as the state continues to face funding challenges. The state is experiencing declining revenue and increasing costs, said Todd Saliman, vice president and chief financial officer for the university. That means funding for all categories \u2013 including higher education \u2013 is at risk.<\/p>\n
Currently, 5.3 percent of CU\u2019s budget comes from the state, an amount that most likely will decrease in coming years. A University of Denver study painted a bleak picture of future funding and an upcoming CU study likely will reach the same conclusions, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe get less money than our peers and that has made it challenging for us. Because state support is inadequate, it pushes the burden to tuition.\u201d<\/p>\n
Twenty years ago, students and families paid one-third the cost of tuition with state funding making up the remainder. Today, the numbers are reversed.<\/p>\n
Not everyone understands the value the university brings to the state, Michele McKinney told the group. McKinney is the external affairs and advocacy director for the university. She oversees the year-and-a-half old CU Advocates program, which works to educate residents about the contributions CU makes to the state, nation and world. Currently, 2,100 volunteers \u2013 1,600 in Colorado \u2013 participate in the program.<\/p>\n
The university is one of the largest employers in the state, brings in millions of dollars of research funding, produces 60 percent of all graduate work in Colorado, and promotes educational opportunities through financial aid \u2014 $600 million last year.<\/p>\n
Staff council also heard from Pakou Cha, the manager of the Office of Labor Relations on the Boulder campus, concerning employee volunteer leave.<\/p>\n
At several previous meetings, the council had discussed conducting a systemwide service project but discovered that not all campuses provide volunteer leave opportunities for staff.<\/p>\n
Cha said state personnel board rules allow the appointing authority to grant administrative leave for reasons deemed good for the state. The Boulder campus has determined that parental assistance in school activities (including parent-teacher conferences) and volunteer work fit the category. Classified employees receive up to 18 hours per year of leave, with 16 of those being paid leave.<\/p>\n
Colorado Springs does not grant leave for volunteer work, and both system administration and Denver\/Anschutz campus employees are allowed to take a smaller number of hours for service opportunities.<\/p>\n
At an upcoming meeting, staff council will discuss whether to push for a consistent university policy regarding paid volunteer hours.<\/p>\n
— Cynthia Pasquale, University Relations, CU System<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"