Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:43:52 -0400

Dear Lou,
 

Thanks for your recent email, outlining your concerns regarding the $600
minimum raise for staff yet no corresponding required minimum raise for
faculty.
 

As you may be aware, our initial request to the legislature was to
permit the University of Tennessee to offer a portion of each salary
pool for merit increases, both for faculty as well as the staff pool.
In the end, during the final day or so of budget negotiations by the
legislature, it became evident the staff pool would be a mandated
percentage increase.  During those negotiations we agreed to the $600
minimum.
 

I appreciate your concern regarding no minimum increase for the faculty
pool.   However, I feel strongly the merit pool which we requested and
was approved for the faculty pool permits all our campuses to truly
recognize and reward members of the faculty who are performing
extraordinary service for the institution.  Accordingly, many of our
faculty members will receive a total raise package greater than the two
percent (2%) or minimum of $600 required for the staff pool.
 

As I said in my initial memorandum to staff and faculty regarding the
compensation package approved by the legislature, we would have
preferred our employees being treated equally with state employees in
the percentage increase they are receiving.  We will continue to work
with the legislature to provide not only equal but adequate funding for
our raise pools in the future.   But, be assured, I will continue to ask
and hopefully convince the legislature the need for flexibility within
that pool for us to be able to reward not only faculty with merit
increases but also our university staff.
 

Again, thanks for sharing your concern.