One of those stranger things about faculty pay - Part 2

 

Blog readers may recall last month's post about a plan to limit off-scale faculty salaries that involved percentages vs. absolute dollar margins and the like.* Of course, in the abstract, it doesn't matter how you express the margin above the official scale as long as the margin is sufficient to compete in the marketplace for faculty talent. As we noted in the prior post, a proposal has been floating around to put formula-based limits on the margin, a practice which at best can only complicate faculty recruitment and retention. Undoubtedly, work-arounds can be found for any formula but given the rules-based, bureaucratic processes that would be involved, the net effect is to create a problem. Our previous posting noted the objections raised by various department chairs.

Apparently, there is now proposed to be some adjustment and phrasing of the new proposed rules as can be seen below. But the basic problem remains. [Click on the 6 images below to clarify.]

Note that it remains unclear as to where the pressure for these changes is originating. UCOP? A train that Napolitano set in motion that can't be stopped? Something new from Drake? A Murphy Hall initiative?

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*https://uclafacultyassociation.blogspot.com/2021/01/one-of-those-stranger-things-about.html