FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas faculty and staff received email notices on March 29 regarding the basis for salary increases for the 2020 Fiscal Year, that will go into effect July 1, 2019.

The salary increases are part of the U of A’s ongoing effort to provide competitive compensation in order to hire and keep top quality faculty and staff, while still providing an affordable education for Arkansas students.

In addition, long-serving staff will receive increases in their annual career service payments.

The email message also addressed benefits changes in health insurance costs, retirement contributions and parking permit payments. In terms of dollars, these increases will be substantially smaller than the salary increases that faculty and staff will receive.

These changes were all approved by the UA System Board of Trustees during their meeting on May 23.

Classified Employee SALARY increases

Classified employee salaries at the U of A are established by the state, and under Act 763, the Higher Education Uniform Classification and Compensation Act, minimum pay levels in Grades 1-10 have been adjusted to address increases in the minimum wage.

This means that all classified employees will receive a one percent raise to their July 1, 2020 salaries. Classified staff who are still below the new minimum levels for their grade will receive an additional increase to that minimum level.

In addition, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education has authorized all   classified staff members to receive a two percent cost of living increase and  eligible classified staff will receive merit raises of up to 1.25 percent. These will both be added to a staff member’s base pay before calculating the additional one percent salary increases. When totaled, the potential cost of living, merit and minimum wage adjustment increases make most classified employees eligible for raises of 3.5 percent or more.

faculty and non-classified employee increases

The Board of Trustees approved a salary “pool” of two percent for merit increases, based on their performance evaluations and distributed by the the vice chancellors, deans, vice provosts, and associate vice chancellors responsible for budgets in their colleges and divisions.

Senior administrators hired or promoted between January 1, 2019 and June 30, 2019, are not eligible for a raise for this FY2020, unless previously approved by the chancellor. 

Career service payments

Career service payments will increase under state law for 100 percent appointed staff with 10 or more years service.  The increase in the annual payment to eligible staff will be increased by between $200 and $600 dollars, depending on start date and years of service.

benefits changes

Faculty and staff will be required to pay increased health insurance premiums in the next fiscal year, and the mandatory contribution to the U of A retirement plan will increase from 3 percent to 4 percent.

In addition, because of changes in federal tax law, faculty and staff will no longer be able to purchase parking permits with pre-tax money. The cost of faculty/staff parking permits will not increase, however.