A/B Retention Salary Adjustment Policy

1.0 Purpose

The following includes a general college-wide policy and guidelines for administering the A/B retention salary adjustment policy. The guidelines are meant to provide general information and processes about A/B salary adjustments.

2.0 Revision History

None

3.0 Policy

The College of Engineering and the University of Washington recognize that, in selected cases, special salary considerations are warranted for purposes of retention. The policies described herein provide a mechanism to handle this situation.

4.0 Overview

An A/B Salary Model may be used for purposes of retaining eligible faculty. The Model has two components. The first component (A) is a tenured faculty member's state supported level. The second component (B) is obtained from externally generated funds ("soft money"). It relies on the faculty member's ability to generate sufficient and consistent funding from eligible grants and contracts or other self-sustaining activities. The total base salary paid to the faculty member is the sum of the A and B components.

5.0 Terms and Conditions

A faculty member can voluntarily initiate a request to have the proportion of his/her tenured appointment decreased (in decrements of 10% up to a total of 30%) to allow him/her to utilize external funding to increase his/her base rate of salary. A faculty member can decrease his/her state FTE to 80 or 90% while maintaining the full amount of his/her state supported salary. Adding the total percentage from external funding sources (the B component) creates a new base salary, to bring his/her total FTE back to 100%. Faculty are still responsible for carrying out all responsibilities associated with the state support allocated to the position. Overall teaching loads, the length of the service period, research and service commitments, student supervision, and all other faculty duties remain unchanged.

While not specifically addressed in this policy, the use of an A/B salary structure may also be used for the recruitment of tenured and tenure-track faculty members when non-tenure-backed resources are required to offer a competitive salary.

Although this policy does not affect a faculty member’s permanent, indefinite appointment with the University, this policy does affect the proportion of a faculty member’s salary that is supported by state-committed funding.

Faculty members who adopted an A/B salary structure prior to this revision (July 2, 2007) of the A/B salary policy, and in their agreement “revoked” or “resigned” a portion of their tenure, will henceforth continue to have an approved A/B salary arrangement that is consistent with the terms of this revised policy.

The A/B Salary Model is subject to review and approval on an individual basis by the Department Chair, the Dean, and the Office of the Provost.

If the external funding sources for the B component become unavailable at any time, the faculty member will receive only the state portion (A component) of the salary rate, and be without salary for the B component.

The A/B Salary Model does not affect outside consulting limits, nor does it have any effect on UW policy and rules regarding Intellectual Property generated by faculty activities. All rules of the University continue to apply.

Retirement contributions are based on total salary regardless of the source. Therefore, retirement contributions will reflect the actual A/B Salary total. Retirement contributions will be commensurately reduced when external funding for the B component is not available.

This plan is irrevocable once adopted.

6.0 Procedure

The faculty member determines if he/she has consistent and sufficient appropriate external funding sources to participate in the A/B Salary Model.

The faculty member initiates a meeting with the Department Chair and requests the A/B Salary Model (view template). The Chair determines the possible % FTE allowable to convert to external funding sources.

The Chair sends the faculty member a letter (view draft letter). The faculty member signs and forwards the letter through the Dean to the Provost for approval. The signed agreement becomes a part of the faculty member's University file. Copies will be returned to the faculty member and the Dean's Office.

The Dean will inform the payroll coordinator for the College to prepare the appropriate payroll documents and send them through the normal signature channels.