This policy was a part of the former UPS Policy set that was integrated into the System Administrative Policy set. It applies to all University of Wisconsin institutions except for UW-Madison. For UW-Madison’s policies, please see the Human Resource Design Policies website.
Original Issuance Date: October 11, 2017
Last Revision Date: May 1, 2024
1. Policy Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on the distribution of UW System approved pay plans for the university workforce.
2. Responsible UW System Officer
Associate Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer
3. Scope and Institutional Responsibilities
This policy provides the pay plan distribution policy framework for the university workforce except for employees of UW-Madison and those staff members covered by collective bargaining agreements.
4. Background
Wis. Stat. § 36.115 requires the Board of Regents and the UW-Madison Chancellor to develop personnel systems that are separate and distinct from the personnel system under Wis. Stat. Chapter 230. Regent Policy Document 20-21, University Personnel Systems, delegates to the President of the University of Wisconsin System, except for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the authority to formulate operating policies to administer this personnel system.
The pay plan recommendation requested by the Board of Regents and the UW System President requires approval from the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Committee on Employment Relations (JCOER). Per Wis. Stat. § 230.12 (3)(e), the Board’s pay plan recommendation (including both the Universities of Wisconsin and the UW-Madison) is submitted to the State of Wisconsin’s Administrator of the Division of Personnel Management (DPM) who submits the pay plan proposal to JCOER.
5. Definitions
University Workforce: For the purposes of pay plan distribution university workforce includes only faculty, academic staff, university staff, university staff project employees, and limited appointees.
Pay Plan: The JCOER approved compensation adjustment.
Effective Date: Unless otherwise established by the legislative or executive action, the first day of the payroll period encompassing the date the JCOER establishes at the date of pay plan.
Implementation Date: The first date of the pay period, on or after the effective date, when pay plan is paid to employees. This may occur after the effective date if the final approval of pay plan by JCOER or legislative or executive action occurs after the effective date.
Continuing Staff: Those employees who meet the institution’s pay plan eligibility requirements.
6. Policy Statement
A. Chancellors shall develop, oversee and coordinate pay plan administration using the processes and practices of shared institutional governance of each respective university consistent with the requirements of this policy. Each Chancellor is directed to proceed with university workforce salary evaluations using a suitable evaluation system to effectively assess performance of each employee. A record of the evaluation judgments shall be made before July 1 of each year, as provided in Wis. Stat. 36.09(1)(j).
Assessment of performance for faculty shall be based on a systematic performance evaluation program, which identifies positive contributions by the faculty member to teaching, research, public service and/or the support functions inherent in the university’s mission. Assessment of faculty who have teaching duties shall include consideration of student evaluations per Regent Policy Document 20-2, Student Evaluation of Instruction. Assessment of instructional academic staff shall include consideration of student evaluations if required by local institutional policy.
Assessment of performance for all other university workforce employees shall be based on a systematic performance evaluation program which allows supervisory assessment of performance in their areas of assigned responsibility.
Employees who do not have a current evaluation are deemed to be performing at a satisfactory level, unless there is a documented performance concern (discipline within the past 3 months or active plan or improvement). Supervisors who fail to complete annual evaluations are ineligible to receive a compensation adjustment from pay plan.
B. All members of the university workforce must complete the mandatory training as required by and within the deadlines specified in UW System Administrative Policy 1293, Mandatory Employee Training, and other institution-specific mandatory training to be eligible for pay plan adjustment. Employees who do not have any past due training requirements are deemed to have met this mandatory training or institution-specific training requirements.
C. To receive pay plan, an employee must meet the institution’s eligibility requirements, and be in active pay status on payroll at the time of implementation date. No institution may choose a different date to establish eligibility for pay plan.
D. If the implementation date is after the effective date, an employee shall receive a lump sum payment for all hours of continuous service in a pay plan eligible position with the Universities of Wisconsin from the effective date through the implementation date, or from the date of hire, if the date of hire is after the effective date. Employees who are not in active status on payroll on the implementation date are ineligible for this lump sum payment.
E. All employees who meet the institutional eligibility requirements, including the standard for performance based on institutional policy or pay plan guidelines and mandatory training requirements, will receive a compensation adjustment in the amount approved by JCOER with one exception: Chancellors are authorized to earmark up to 15 percent of the total pay plan each year for the Chancellors’ discretionary use to meet special compensation needs such as to reward staff for innovative or collaborative program delivery, exceptional performance in support of institution goals, or to correct pay inequities. To be eligible for the 15% Chancellors’ discretionary award, each employee must also obtain an evaluation assessment of at least satisfactory performance to receive an adjustment.
When the Chancellor’s discretionary award is used, the exact amount of the adjustment for each employee may vary and will depend on the criteria and standards established by the institution.
F. Pay plan increase will be calculated based on the employee’s current salary in the pay eligible position as of the implementation date.
G. Base salaries shall not be less than the salary or pay range minimum.
H. The salary increase shall not move the base salary above the applicable pay range maximum. Employees paid near the maximum will receive the pay plan limited to the pay range maximum with the difference paid as an annualized lump sum payment. Employees paid above the applicable pay range maximum will be eligible for an annualized lump sum payment in the amount of the pay plan percentage, less any amount withheld due to the Chancellor’s earmark. Salary adjustment rates for promotion in faculty rank are delegated to Chancellors.
I. Chancellors shall strive to ensure equity across all employee categories.
J. The President is authorized each year to increase the systemwide faculty salary minima by up to the full amount of the pay plan and rounded to the nearest hundred dollars. For Category B research and instructional academic staff, the Board authorizes the continuation of the current policy linking titles to the faculty salary minima based on percentage relationships approved in the 1994 Gender and Race Equity Study.
The President is authorized each year to increase the systemwide salary range minima and maxima for Category A salary ranges and university staff pay ranges. The decision to increase the minima or the maxima will be communicated through the University of Wisconsin System Human Resources Office.
Each university shall complete its actions on stipend schedules for non-represented graduate assistants prior to July 1 and shall establish a factor for adjustments, which can be applied expeditiously to determine compensation increases. Stipend schedules for each graduate assistant category shall be separately established.
K. If the Board’s meeting schedule does not afford an opportunity for timely action by the full Board on salary adjustments, the Board authorizes the Executive Committee of the Board, in consultation with the System President, to approve any discretionary salary adjustments. Appropriate information shall be provided to all members of the Board.
L. Compensation actions related to the pay plan and delegated to the Chancellors shall be completed in accordance with statutory requirements, legislative intent, and Board policy and shall be reported to UW System Administration to make possible the preparation of payrolls and reporting to the Board.
M. Institution pay plan guidelines shall be forwarded to UW System Human Resources for review no later than May 1 of each year.
7. Related Documents
Regent Policy Document 20-21, University Personnel Systems
Regent Policy Document 20-2, Student Evaluation of Instruction
UW System Administrative Policy 1277, Compensation
Wis. Stat. § 36.09(1)(j)
Wis. Stat. § 36.115
Wis. Stat. § 230.12 (3)(e)
8. Policy History
Revision 5: May 1, 2024
Revision 4: May 2, 2023
Revision 3: December 22, 2021
Revision 2: May 6, 2021
Revision 1: November 19, 2019
First Approved: October 11, 2017
9. Scheduled Review
April 2028