GRAND FORKS Salary increases and campus building plans were some of the topics discussed by UND faculty members and staff at a town hall on Wednesday, April 26.
This online town hall event is offered periodically to allow UND employees to anonymously ask questions to university administrators. On May 2, students and parents will be able to attend a similar event. Among other concerns Wednesday were UND employees who wanted to know how salary increases would apply and what priority administrators had for the next legislative session.
Jed Shivers (Vice President of Finance and Operations) answered a question about how salary increases would be handled. He said that each department at UND had been allocated money to give out up to 2% salary raises. This number is largely determined by the Legislature. He said that the increases are based upon merit.
Shivers gave a similar answer when Shivers was asked about why salary increases are decided by the Legislature when only a fraction of the university’s budget comes out of state coffers. Shivers stated that approximately 22% of university’s overall budget is funded by state funds. He suggested that people should wait to see what happens during the next legislative session to determine what steps might be taken to adjust salaries for inflation. Inflation has risen in recent months.
Shivers stated that we generally follow legislative guidelines. As we move into the new biennial cycle, we’ll see what happens in fiscal year 2024.
President Andrew Armacost stated inflation is top of people’s minds when it come to seeking legislative support. UND, along with other state educational institutions, is working to develop a list of priorities for the legislature. This includes funding capital improvements projects and adjusting the rate at which merit-based salary increases are adjusted.
Other legislative priorities include the use of earnings from the state Legacy Fund to support research, development, and economic diversification. Gov. Doug Burgum prioritized these issues through his Main Street Initiative program.
Joshua Wynne (dean of the school for medicine and health sciences) urged people to submit ideas for legislative priorities through their usual chain-of-command.
Peggy Varberg (associate vice president for human resources) stated that salary increases would be determined by supervisors within each department and would be applied broadly. Only five people out of 1,800 will receive a raise if they do not meet minimum standards.
Varberg stated that while there are many people who do amazing work, we only have a handful of people that can help us get there. We have a plan to achieve this.
Remote work was also brought up. Employees were unsure why some could work remotely and others had to travel. Donna Smith, associate vice-president of equal opportunity and Title IX, stated that the issue is resolved on a case by case basis through an interactive process between the employee and supervisor. This facilitates the accommodation process.
Varberg stated that remote work is part and parcel of the new face of higher-education. It can be used in some cases to retain and recruit. It is possible that the position you are applying for is not available in your area. Additionally, people from other states may not be interested in moving to North Dakota. In some cases, data-based workers may not have the counterpart they need to interact face-to–face with.
She said that there is a shift in higher education in general that we are seeing.
The discussion moved on to other topics, including parking around Wilkerson Community. Mike Pieper (associate vice president for facilities) stated that the parking lot will not be removed after construction has been completed on new dormitories.
Pieper answered that fundraising has been approved to renovate Babcock Hall, but there is no ongoing effort. The building was not being used and received a new roof in order to prevent water damage. It is now in a safe holding area for future use.