The 4% salary adjustment (up to a maximum of $3,000) is for all regular fully benefited (30+ standard hours) faculty and staff of the USG who are actively employed on July 1, 2024. Partially benefited employees working less than 30 hours and non-benefited employees, including temporary and those working less than 20 hours are not eligible for the adjustment. There may be exceptions to the eligibility population based on unit structure and funding.

The salary components used for the calculation are those included in the employee’s base pay, which is their annual rate of pay. The base pay is the employee's standard pay rate and does not include other compensation such as overtime, shift differentials, incentives, supplements, consortium, administrative assignments, allowances, and overload pay.

For faculty, more specifically, the base pay does not include overload teaching, continuing education appointments, monetary awards, compensation earned for services performed external to the University, as approved under the compensated outside activities policy, or administrative faculty assignments exclusively performed during the summer (not assigned during the previous academic year).

The base pay may include any of the following components:

• Regular Earnings (Rate Code CNTRCT)
• Special Chair Earnings (Rate Code MCCHR)
• Academic Administrative Faculty Assignment (Rate Code MCAFA)

The salary adjustment will be based on an eligible employee’s salary as of April 1, 2024. If an employee is hired between April 1, 2024, and June 30, 2024, the COLA will be calculated on their base starting salary.

Eligible employees earning an annual salary of $75,000 or greater, will reach the maximum allowable threshold on the 4% COLA and receive a COLA in the amount of $3,000.

The adjustment is effective July 1, 2024. Eligible employees will receive the COLA if they are actively employed on or before July 1st.

• For budget planning purposes, an employment date of April 1st will be used for the salary calculation, budget prep, and initial implementation.
• A clean-up exercise will then be completed to include those hired between April 1st and July 1st.
• Those hired after July 1st will not be adjusted and Institutions should appropriately review and offer compensation as appropriate.

Summer pay will not change as it is based on the salary in effect as of May 31, 2024. The salary adjustment is only intended to cover the standard contract and not summer earnings. Refer to related Policy BOR 8.3.12.3 Summer School Salaries.

The COLA will be updated in job data effective 7/1/2024. The rate for all hourly employees (9, 10, or 12 month) will be calculated in the same manner and based on the dollar amount paid for the role per hour.

No, they must be actively employed in the eligible position on July 1, 2024, to receive the adjustment.

The COLA base salary adjustment will be subject to all applicable FICA Taxes, Federal Income Tax, and State Income Tax. Federal and State Income tax will be withheld at the employee’s normal tax rate.

Yes, the base pay adjustment is eligible for retirement benefits.

Employees who are paid monthly will receive the salary adjustment, benefits adjustment, and premium adjustment for short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), and supplemental life insurance (SLF) coverage reflected in the 07/31 pay date.

Employees who are paid on a bi-weekly basis will receive the salary adjustment effective 7/1; however, the corresponding benefit and premium changes to STD, LTD, and SLF coverage will be reflected in the 07/12 pay date.

Yes, Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs) are intended to offset inflation and retain valuable employees. Such adjustments as approved through the legislative budget process and USG policy may exceed the established range and should be appropriately documented/coded by the Institution. Institutions will need to decide whether their salary structure needs to be assessed and restructured.

Other salary adjustments that are effective dated July 1st will be applied after the COLA. Institutions that are planning to implement structure, market or other types of adjustments should apply those adjustments after the COLA. Any structure, market or other types of adjustments must be discussed with USO HR before implementation.