Compensation increases in store for university employees

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah lawmakers were apparently feeling generous toward higher education faculty and staff during the recently concluded 2020 session of the Legislature.

According to a Legislative analysis issued by the Utah System of Higher Education, the Legislature approved a 2.5 percent across-the-board salary and wage increase for university faculty and staff. Lawmakers also approved a 4.53 percent increase in funds earmarked to defray the cost of health and dental insurance for USHE employees.

The annual price tag for those compensation increases is $27.4 million.

In his original 2020-21 operating budget request, interim Commissioner of Utah Higher Education David R. Woolstenhulme had requested nearly $33 million for salary increases and insurance costs. That amount would have provided a 2.5 percent increase for salaries and wages, plus a 5 percent increase in insurance funding.

While fully funding the commissioner’s requested salary and wage hike, Legislative budget analysts trimmed the original $33 million request by about $5 million just by reducing the appropriation for insurance costs by about half a percentage point.

Overall, lawmakers increased the USHE statewide budget by 8.2% ($90 million in ongoing funds), plus $1.75 million in one-time funds for the 2020-01 academic year.

The salary and insurance increases will take effect July 1.

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3 Comments

  • Free Bird March 25, 2020 at 7:15 pm Reply

    Mean while in realistic America, people are forced to stay at home with no pay? It’s about we get some honest leadership in this State!

    P.S. Any American can get online and learn way more then any University is going to teach them, for in most cases free.

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