Southern Illinois University Carbondale is launching a study of how pay for faculty and staff compares to that of other employers as part of its Imagine 2030 strategic plan.
“We have a lot to offer employees, including a fantastic benefits package,” said Nick Wortman, SIU’s assistant vice chancellor of human resources. “To be competitive in the job market, our salaries need to be comparable to what other employers offer. More important, it is the right thing to do. The compensation equity study will give us a foundation and provide solid data as we move forward.”
The study is the second phase in a long and complex process, Wortman said. The first phase was an internal study, comparing employees’ salaries to those of their peers, which resulted in salary adjustments for more than 100 employees.
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The university has retained the services of CBIZ, a compensation consultant with extensive experience in higher education. Faculty positions will be compared to other jobs in similar colleges and universities. Staff positions will be compared to similar jobs inside and outside higher ed.
The goal is to craft new compensation policies and guidelines that will provide consistency in compensation and pay scales that align with the larger job market by fall 2025. At this time, the university is verifying and collecting data. As the project progresses, updates will be posted on the Human Resources website and SIU Today, the employee newsletter.
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Stephen Brown Hall • May 29, 2024 at 1:59 pm
Here is hoping for a good outcome with your study and data collecting! Please bear in mind that very often our common sense and actual observations can be just as enlightening. Over the last decade staff have been leaving the university for the simple reason that outside employers are paying more. Didn’t used to be this way. I grew up in Carbondale when landing a job at SIU meant that you and your family were secure. Not any more.
The biggest threat to the university as whole: the brain – drain. So much knowledge and experience is walking away without a replacement.