Special Salary Practice

UCSC Special Salary: The Campus practice of awarding more generous off-scale salary increases in conjunction with senate faculty personnel actions in order to improve the equity of UCSC faculty salaries within the UC system.

Note: the special salary practice is assessed on new work since most >>>recent review. If the entire review period covers several past actions (like in promotion cases) – rank/step is assessed on the entire review period while the additional off scale choices only applies to the new work since the most recent review.

The following rubric will be used to assess performance in each area:

Does not meet expectations

Meets expectations (Excellent)

Exceeds expectations (Outstanding)

Greatly exceeds expectations (Exceptional)

• Normal merit increase (advancement of one step) meets expectations in teaching, research, and service for ladder-rank faculty or teaching, professional/scholarly achievement, and service for teaching professors.

• Greater-than-normal advancement (one step plus an additional off-scale component) for exceeding expectations in one or two categories (meets expectations performance in remaining areas).

One step plus additional 1/3 of a step (g1) -  when performance exceeds expectations in one area, and meets expectations in the other two.

One step plus additional 2/3’s of a step (g2) - when performance exceeds expectations in two areas, meets expectations in the third.

• Acceleration (advancement of 2 steps) for exceeding expectations in all three areas (i.e., significantly beyond expectations); most accelerations are expected to be at this level; in rare and unusual circumstances, acceleration files that exceed the standard for a 2-step advancement (even those to Professor, step 6 and above) may be considered for an additional off-scale increase equivalent to 1/3 of a step. (A1)

Initial Above Scale advancement is based on both career distinction and additional merit; advancement to Above Scale only occurs after a distinguished career record. At this high level, the criteria for advancement become even more elevated per systemwide policy, APM 220-18-b(4). There is not an expectation that faculty continue to advance beyond Step 9, although we do recognize continued outstanding achievement. Further Above Scale actions must show new evidence of merit and distinction; a further above scale review may have an outcome that is “satisfactory” without salary increase if there is only continued excellence. The Special Salary Practice does not apply at Above Scale. In order to have more consistency across campus for these relatively rare and infrequent actions, we provide the following guidance:

In order to have more consistency across campus for these relatively rare and infrequent actions, we provide the following guidance: