UH hands out 612 merit raises
By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer
The University of Hawai'i system has completed its lineup of faculty merit raises for the year, with 612 people receiving raises out of a total of about 3,000 faculty throughout the system, according to J.N. Musto, executive director of the University of Hawai'i Professional Assembly.
That far exceeds the number of merit raises in recent years.
The top raise hit a high of $33,259, with the lowest raises amounting to around $400, said Musto.
The raises are part of the requirements of the UH contract that was signed last year and calls for $1.5 million a year devoted to merit, equity and retention raises.
While past UH administrators have been slow to reward people this way, President Evan Dobelle has applauded the moves to increase pay for the faculty, noting that UH salaries are lower than pay levels at many Mainland colleges. He has told staff that if UH expects to keep good people, it has to reward them.
While top researchers have traditionally been the ones to receive merit and retention increases, Dobelle has also made a point to make sure those renowned in the classroom are put on level footing.
On the Manoa campus, 421 people applied for raises and 130 were denied; at UH-Hilo, 54 applied and 21 were denied; and at UH-West O'ahu, 12 faculty members applied for raises and all 12 were approved, Throughout the community college system 199 people applied for merit increases and 38 were denied.
At West O'ahu, 30 percent of the faculty received raises — the highest percentage of any of the campuses.
At Hilo, 13.6 percent of the faculty received raises; at Manoa, 14.4 percent received raises; and at the community colleges, 14 percent received raises overall.
While the merit raise process is complete, negotiations for next year's contract are ongoing, said Musto.
"Negotiations never stop," said Musto. "We're certainly talking to the administration."
The contract expires June 30, 2003, but Musto said he hopes the bargaining process will be done in time to give a package to the state Legislature next spring.
Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.
