By Amanda Hunt
Arizona Daily Wildcat
The UA Faculty Senate continued discussion about a merit-based compensation plan, a conflict of interest policy and passed several curricular items at yesterday's meeting.
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A revision of the Performance-Based Compensation Plan, previously drafted by Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Martha Gilliland, was discussed and is up for further review.
The revision states that it is independent of other salary adjustment plans and that salary will only be linked to individual performance and not other considerations.
The plan would require "regular peer review of all faculty regardless of rank." Reviews would take place every two to three years, and faculty would be compensated according to the review's results. A faculty member would receive no increase for "needs improvement", and would receive higher salary increments for "good", "excellent" and "outstanding".
According to the plan, those receiving "needs improvement" reviews will develop a plan for improvement.
These revisions came after the senate reviewed a report from the American Association of University Professors entitled Parity-Equity-Merit with Accountability, at the last meeting.
According to the AAUP proposal, increments would be used to increase salary with the cost of living, or parity. Then equity would
be addressed by adjusting salaries to be competitive with other institutions. After these issues are covered, merit would enter as an opportunity to reward faculty based on performance.
The AAUP does not support the Performance-Based Compensation Plan.
President Manuel T. Pacheco said the AAUP's plan was "ill-judged" and not in the "long-term interest" of the university. He said that such a plan would "remove all flexibility." There is an urgency, he said, to allocate salary increases solely on the basis of merit.
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The senate also discussed the Conflict of Interest and Commitment Policy.
The policy would enact a formal system for evaluating a conflict of interest with faculty members who work at jobs outside of the university.
The topic was tabled until the next meeting.
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The senate approved five curricular items as presented by Sen. Lynn Joens.
The senate passed proposals to formally change the name of the School of Music to the School of Music and Dance, to remove the undergraduate mineral and mines program, to establish an aerospace-engineering minor, to change the name of the merchandising and consumer studies degree to retailing and consumer studies and to formally recognize the Southwest Retail Center in the college of Agriculture.