Step Plus System in College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences

1. INTRODUCTION TO STEP-PLUS College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences August 7, 2014 Brenda Chriss, Kim DeLaughder Chris diMuro, Julie Fritz-Rubert

2. Overview – Step Plus • How did we get here? • Three committees – looking at streamlining • Academic Taskforce on Simplifying the Academic Merit and Promotion Process (STAPP) • Academic Personnel Streamlining Implementation Workgroup (APSIW) • Joint Senate-Administrative Workgroup on Step Plus Policies and Procedures (SAWSPPP) • Senate voted and approved the Step Plus System in June 2014 • Implementation 2014-15

3. Overview – Goal of Step Plus • Reduce the number of actions. • Reduce workload. • Level the playing field -- encourage more reserved faculty to seek accelerations (1.5 Steps or greater).

4. So… What does it all mean? • Applies to Senate Faculty in CA&ES. • Faculty reviewed on normative time ONLY for merits. • 2 years for all Asst Prof’s and Assoc Prof’s thru Step 3 • 3 years for Assoc Prof’s Step 4 thru Prof 8 • 4 years for Prof’s 9 and Above Scale • Appointments will be made only on whole steps.

5. So… What does it all mean? • The Exceptions • Promotions -- faculty may accelerate in time. • Reminder: Advancement from Prof step 5-6 or step 9- Above Scale is a MERIT, therefore must be on normative time. • May seek an action immediately following a: • Deferral • Denial • Five-Year Review – unless the review resulted in advancement.

6. So…. What is Step Plus? • Faculty can be reviewed for more than a 1 step merit (i.e. 1.0 step, 1.5 steps, 2.0 steps, etc.). • A new Step Plus salary scale has been created that has steps and half steps. • Faculty members who receive more than a 1 step merit will also receive a temporary salary supplement that will remain in effect for the normative time for the step they were awarded. • This temporary supplement is to compensate faculty so there is no salary loss due to the elimination of accelerations in time.

7. Phased Implementation of Step Plus • Three year phased implementation from 2014-15 to 2016-17 • A faculty member may pursue an “acceleration in time” for their first action only during the three year phased implementation. • A faculty member may request an “acceleration in time” in whole step increments only.  • If a faculty member pursues a 2-year “acceleration in time” in 2014-2015 that results in a denial, they are not eligible to pursue a merit again until 2016-2017 in normative time. 

8. Step Plus – Guidelines for Advancement • 1.0 Step Advancement • Requires a balanced record, appropriate for rank and step, with evidence of good accomplishments in all areas of review. • All Academic Senate faculty can expect to advance at normal rates, unless a major flaw in their performance is evident. • Service duties are expected to increase as faculty advance in rank and step.

9. Step Plus – Guidelines for Advancement • 1.5 Step Advancement • Requires a strong record in all three areas of review, with outstanding achievement in at least one area of review across research or creative work, teaching, and service. • Outstanding achievement in one area may not qualify a candidate for a 1.5 step advancement if performance in another area does not meet UC Davis standards. • The dossier should articulate the grounds for an acceleration beyond simple numerical tabulations, focusing on impact and significance of work, awards, etc.

10. Step Plus – Guidelines for Advancement • 2.0 Step Advancement • Requires a strong record in all three areas of review, with outstanding performance in at least two areas. • In most cases, one of those areas will be scholarly and creative activity, however, in rare cases exceptional performance in two other areas may warrant this unusual advancement. • 2-step advancement should be considered for individuals who would have accelerated every year under the previous system. • Reviewed by CAP and the Vice Provost has final decision authority.

11. Step Plus – Guidelines for Advancement • Beyond 2-Step Advancements • Requires an exceptionally strong and balanced record, highlighted by extraordinary levels of achievement in two areas (including research and creative activity), and excellent contributions in the third area. • These advancements will be extremely rare. • Reviewed by CAP and the Vice Provost has final decision authority.

12. Step Plus – Guidelines for Advancement • Larger than Normal Above-Scale Advancements • Requires an exceptionally strong record of excellence in all three areas of review, with exceptional achievement in research and creative work, and outstanding performance in at least one additional area of review. • The criteria for merit increases are steep at this high rank. • Reviewed by CAP and the Vice Provost has final decision authority.

13. UC Davis Step Plus Salary Scales • The UCD Step Plus Salary Tables are the UC System-wide salary scales, with the addition of half-steps between Assistant Professor, Step 2, and Professor, Above Scale. • Includes the Step Plus Increment and the Step Plus Temporary Supplement.

14. UC Davis Step Plus Salary Scales • Step Plus Increment • The Step Plus Increment is a salary component equal to half the difference between full steps which results when an appointee merits or promotes to a half step. • The Step Plus Increment is already included in the Adjusted Scale salary on the Step Plus salary table.

15. UCD Step Plus Salary Scales Step Plus Increment

16. UC Davis Step Plus Salary Scales • The Step Plus Temporary Supplement • Compensates for salary lost due to eliminating accelerations in time. • Awarded only for advancements of 1.5 steps or greater. • For the period of normative time for the step. • Above Scale faculty • Eligible if their above scale merit is approved as a greater than 5% [default] salary increase.

17. UC Davis Step Plus Salary Scales • The Step Plus Temporary Supplement • Equal to 25% of the difference between the newly achieved full step and the next lower full step. • Is not included in the Adjusted Scale salary on the Step Plus salary table.

18. Step Plus Salary Scales – Temporary Supplement

19. UC Davis – Step Plus Voting Guidelines • General Voting Principles: • Candidates should be evaluated for a more than one-step advancement when performance exceeds normal expectations. • Step Plus does not supersede departmental voting procedures, nor mandate particular voting methods. • Whatever method the department adopts must assure that all candidates are treated consistently. • The candidate must select the proposed action set forth in the department recommendation.

20. UC Davis – Step Plus Voting Guidelines Voting Models Options • Model 1 • Faculty members vote on each of the three options: 1, 1.5 and 2.0 steps. • The candidate chooses which votes should be included and discussed in the department letter, and the advancement level to be proposed. • This option would require comments to be separated for each vote.

21. UC Davis – Step Plus Voting Guidelines Voting Models Options • Model 2 • Faculty members vote once to select whichever advancement option (1.0, 1.5, or 2.0) seems most appropriate, given the candidate’s record. • The distribution of votes and the faculty comments go forward in the department letter, along with a recommendation for the level of advancement selected by the candidate.

22. UC Davis – Step Plus Voting Guidelines Voting Models Options • Model 3 • The candidate decides which advancement options should be voted on by his/her peers. • Based on those votes, the candidate chooses which votes to include and discuss in the department letter, and the advancement level to be proposed.

23. UC Davis – Step Plus Voting Guidelines Voting Models Options • Model 4 • The department always votes on the regular merit (1.0 step) and presents that vote in the department letter. • The candidate decides whether any other advancement options should be voted on by his/her peers. • Based on those votes, the candidate chooses which votes (other than the 1.0-step regular merit) should be included and discussed in the department letter, and the advancement level to be proposed.

24. Step Plus Scenarios