I. Purpose

• To redress base salary inequities of meritorious faculty, librarians and professional staff.
• To respond to market factors in an effort to retain meritorious UUP employees.

II. Eligibility

• All employees in the UUP bargaining unit (faculty, librarians and professional staff) on the payroll as of June 30, 2009, are eligible for discretionary salary increase consideration.
• Part-time employees and temporary employees are eligible for discretionary salary increase awards and must be considered.
• UUP employees on leave of absence, with or without pay, are eligible for discretionary award consideration.

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III. Award Guidelines

• Discretionary salary increases are added to base salary.
• Awards will be paid retroactive to July 1, 2009 for employees with a calendar or college year professional obligation (professionals and librarians).
• Awards will be paid retroactive to September 1, 2009 for employees with an academic year professional obligation (teaching faculty).
• The established 2009 minimum discretionary award amount at Buffalo State College is $500 for full-time employees; pro-rated for part-time faculty and staff.
• Although no maximum discretionary award amount has been established at Buffalo State College, it is unusual for awards to exceed $2500 for full-time employees; pro-rated for part-time faculty and staff.
• The evaluation period for 2009 discretionary awards is July 1, 2008 – June 30, 2009.
• The total pool of discretionary funds available is one percent (1%) of the total salaries of UUP employees as of June 30, 2009.
• Discretionary salary increases are generally awarded to approximately one third (1/3) of the eligible faculty and staff.  Given the scarcity of funds, it is not possible to recognize and reward all of the meritorious faculty and staff who are nominated.

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IV. Award Process

• Faculty and professional staff may submit a self-nomination for a discretionary award by completing the Nomination Form and submitting it to their department head by September 9, 2009. 
   
• Supporting Documentation:  Employees may indicate on the nomination form that they have previously submitted an Individual Information Sheet as part of the annual report process during the Spring/Summer 2009 session. Employees who have not done so should complete and attach an Individual Information Sheet to the Nomination Form. Employees who wish to amend a previously submitted annual report may submit new information (please limit to two pages) and attach it to the Nomination Form. Discretionary award recommendations for professional staff must include a current performance evaluation.  Instructional faculty are expected to provide recent student evaluations of teaching performance.
   
• Department heads (department chairs, directors or associate vice presidents) are responsible for forwarding Nomination Forms for any of their employees who have submitted a self-nomination (indicating whether they recommend or are unable to recommend an award), and should complete a Nomination Form for any other employee they wish to nominate.  All nominations should be forwarded to the next level according to the 2009 UUP discretionary award schedule. 
   
• Deans and vice presidents are responsible for reviewing self-nominations and nominations recommended by department heads according to the discretionary timetable.

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V. Appeal Process

• The preliminary list of discretionary awards will be shared with vice presidents, deans, directors and department chairs on the date discretionary award recipient letters are mailed to the employees.
   
• Any eligible faculty or professional staff member who is not notified by the President of an award by the designated date should assume that his/her name is not on the preliminary list.  Employees not scheduled for an award, and employees dissatisfied with the amount of their award, may file an appeal with the Appeals Board.
   
• The Appeals Board includes the President, Provost, vice presidents, deans and other administrative staff selected by the President.  The Board will consider written appeals of no more than 600 words.  The Board meets in closed session and testimony or personal appeals will be by invitation only.
   
• Written appeals, addressed to the President, must be postmarked or hand delivered to the President’s office by 5:00 p.m. November 4, 2009.  Copies (not originals) of the appeal must also be provided to the Associate Vice President of Human Resource Management (secretary to the Appeals Board) and to the appropriate vice president, dean, director and department chairperson.
   
• Appeal candidates will be notified of the outcome of the appeal by November 16, 2009.
   
• Discretionary awards will be reflected in the paychecks dated December 9, 2009.