Pay Increases and Market Pay Update
Colleague,
Thank you for everything you do to support our students, our colleagues and the University. The passion and dedication displayed by KU faculty and staff is energizing and builds optimism.
We continue to make progress on our financial priorities to eliminate the structural deficit, which in turn helps to fund employee pay increases, and work toward our market pay goals. The following wage increases are only possible through these efforts, along with Governor Laura Kelly’s and the state legislature’s funding allocation for the FY 2025 budget.
Minimum Wage Adjustments
Beginning with the June 9 pay period, we will bring all regular, Unclassified Professional and Unclassified Support Staff positions up to the federal contractor minimum wage of $17.20 per hour. We also are increasing our student hourly minimum wage to $10.25 per hour on Aug. 4. This is an initial effort to ensure all our employees come closer to achieving a living wage appropriate for Douglas County.
Wage Increases and Eligibility by Employee Groups
The program is open to all academic year faculty, tenured and tenure-track faculty, and lecturers hired for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Student Hourly Employees — The student hourly minimum wage will increase to $10.25 per hour effective Aug. 4. Wage increases will follow the established university process.
- Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Assistants and Residential Graduate Assistants (ACD & REGA) — All current or returning GRAs, GAs and RGAs (ACD & REGA) who were hired during the 2023-2024 academic year will see a 2.5% pay increase effective Aug. 18. The increase will be reflected on the Sept. 13 paycheck.
- Graduate Teaching Assistants — All returning GTAs will see a 2.5% increase over last year’s rate. The minimum salary for GTAs also is 2.5% higher than last year.
- Staff — Employees in an active status on June 30, including those on leave, will receive a 2.0% pay increase effective Aug. 18. The increase will appear in the Sept. 13 paycheck.
- Faculty — Due to the recent unionization vote, the process for pay increases has changed. We intend to submit a proposal for an increase, which will require review by several parties, including the union and the Kansas Board of Regents. The timing of an increase will be dependent upon the approval process. Our goal would be to time the increase with the start of the academic year, effective no sooner than Aug. 18.
- Affiliate unit employees — Leaders of each affiliate unit, such as the Kansas Union and KU Athletics, will determine wage adjustments and related effective dates for employees in those units.
Update on Market-based Pay
Many of you have asked about progress toward market pay. Achieving market pay remains a priority in our five-year budget plan, and we are making progress. Our ability to fully fund it depends on eliminating KU’s structural deficit and increasing revenue through various sources.
Our priorities in moving toward market pay for staff are: 1) ensuring all regular employees are brought up to a living wage, and 2) lifting pay in units where recruiting and retention is extremely challenging because wages are far out of alignment with the market. Market pay priorities for faculty will be based on the agreed upon negotiations of the collective bargaining unit.
Continued Progress
Our commitment to market pay is a priority and a continual effort. We have created an infrastructure and strategy to continue our progress and to annually gather and analyze market salary data. We are dedicated to creating an environment that values and appropriately compensates our people.
More updates will be shared as we make additional progress toward our financial goals of eliminating the structural deficit to increase wages.
You are key to KU’s success. I appreciate the work you do to support our students and each other and to advance KU’s vision of being an exceptional learning community that lifts each member and advances society.
Respectfully,
Barb
Barbara Bichelmeyer
Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor