Compensation is a crucial aspect of retaining engaged, quality faculty. The University of Colorado at Boulder strives to provide our students with a quality education, with the faculty being the essential element in insuring we offer superb instruction. The faculty is also engaged in creating cutting edge knowledge and serving the campus, Colorado, and the academic community. There is a direct correlation between competitive faculty compensation and the quality of the University’s academic programs. As such, the quality compensation afforded our faculty maintains a high priority during the annual budget planning process. Merit is the key factor in determining faculty compensation; each unit conducts a faculty review of annual merit. The campus may also use structural adjustments for career merit, salary equity, and promotion.

Compensation

Compensation is a key element in retaining quality faculty members. The retention of exceptional faculty helps to ensure both a higher level of education for University of Colorado students, and the ability of our faculty to engage in high-quality research and scholarship. To that end, The University of Colorado strives to ensure that faculty compensation is an important part of the annual budget planning process. 

Compensation guidelines are governed by:

Additional Compensation

At times, faculty may take on compensated, professional responsibilities in addition to their full-time appointment. Examples of additional jobs include overload teaching, administrative service, consulting duties, etc. However, faculty salary supplementation is limited and regulated by both Federal and University administrative policies. All units are responsible for ensuring that any additional faculty jobs adhere to the policies governing additional compensation.

Annual Merit Assessment

Salary adjustments for faculty are made annually. For instructors, tenure-track and tenured faculty, these adjustments generally take effect January 1. Recommendations for merit increases are to be determined by the department chair in consultation with department colleagues as defined by department rules and college/school guidelines.

Faculty Report of Professional Activities

The Faculty Report of Professional Activities (FRPA) is designed to serve as an annual inventory of a faculty member's professional activities.  This information is used within the department as well as by Academic Affairs and other CU-Boulder offices for compiling campus statistics, identifying outreach and service opportunities, and for annual merit evaluations.  Additionally, portions of the FRPA that are marked as “Public Data” become part of a faculty member’s public profile on CU Experts.

Salary and Equity

The campus maintains a faculty committee for the resolution of salary grievances and oversight of the appeals process. The Salary Equity Appeals Committee (SEAC) is a committee of faculty members selected jointly by the Boulder Faculty Assembly Executive Committee and the Associate Vice Chancellor of Faculty Affairs. The Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs chairs the committee.

Policy Resources - Evaluation and Compensation