Campus Update — Fiscal Year 2022-23 Annual Raise Process Update

The fall semester is in full swing across campus — from classrooms and labs to the football and soccer fields. The commitment of our dedicated faculty and staff propels the work to fulfill East Carolina University’s mission of student success, regional transformation, and public service. We thank you for your service to the institution. This memo shares important updates affecting several groups of ECU employees.

Thanks to legislative action during the recent session and to the UNC Board of Governors and System Office support for policy changes resulting in additional personnel tools, we have three categories of compensation actions to effectuate this semester. Below is a brief overview of each for your awareness. For more details, please visit Fiscal Year 2022-23 Annual Raise Process and questions may be directed to humanresources@ecu.edu.

Legislative Salary Increases — Completed

In August 2022, eligible permanent EHRA, SHRA and CSS employees, including probationary and time-limited employees, received a 3.5% legislative salary increase regardless of salary funding source.

Labor Market Adjustment Reserve (LMAR)

The Appropriations Act provides approximately 1% of the university’s state-funded salary and benefits base to use for discretionary labor market adjustments for selected SHRA, CSS and EHRA-NF employees. These permanent salary adjustments are intended to strategically assist in addressing labor market needs and to allow ECU to better retain existing talent. Certain identified ECU positions that are not funded by state funds will also receive labor market adjustments. We are anticipating awarding approximately 975 employees an increase based on the distribution model, detailed below; the increase will be reflected in the Oct. 15 paycheck with a retroactive date of Sept. 1, 2022.

ECU LMAR Distribution

• Career-banded SHRA and CSS employees below 93% market index
• Career-banded SHRA and CSS employees and EHRA non-faculty IT employees identified as “Hard to Recruit” below 97% market index
• EHRA non-faculty employees below salary range minimum

As of Oct. 1, ECU will have a new minimum compensation standard for permanent career-banded SHRA and CSS positions of 93% market index and “Hard to Recruit” career-banded SHRA and CSS positions and EHRA-NF IT positions of 97% market index regardless of funding source.

Following the first phase of LMAR distributions, divisions will receive minimal funds to consider increases for EHRA-NF employees below the 50th percentile of salary range or any EHRA non-faculty, SHRA, and CSS toward addressing salary inequities and/or salary compression within those employee categories. Templates and allocated funds will be shared in mid-October with division heads. The subsequent salary actions will be reflected in the November 15 paycheck and will be retroactive to Sept. 1, 2022.

EHRA Non-Base Salary One-Time Merit Bonuses

Based on recently delegated authorities and as part of the annual raise process guidelines, the campus has authority to award eligible EHRA employees a one-time bonus not to exceed 5% of the June 30 base salary to recognize meritorious performance and to maximize the retention of high-performing talent. There is no automatic entitlement to such a bonus and the campus did not receive an allocation to support such bonuses.

Institutional resources are being redirected to provide a pool of funds equal to 2% of state funded salaries to support these one-time EHRA merit bonuses. Non-state resources may spend an equivalent 2%, as well, to support these one-time EHRA merit bonuses. If it is determined by the divisional leader and the respective management levels (supervisor, department head, dean, etc.) that an individual EHRA employee will be awarded a one-time bonus for meritorious performance, then these one-time payments will be in the Oct. 31 paycheck.

— Stephanie Coleman, Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance and Dr. Robin Coger, Provost & Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs