The UNF chapter of the United Faculty of Florida has decided to provide its members and nonmembers alike with brief factual tidbits (Did You Know?) designed to inform faculty of their rights and to engage faculty and administration in fruitful discussions on issues related to our work and our shared goals. The information conveyed in these segments more often than not directly relates to the performance of faculty members’ contacted duties.
These Did You Know segments arise from the questions and issues that the union confronts on a regular basis. Many of the topics in the Did You Know? messages are designed to dispel misconceptions promulgated by ignorance of the CBA, the law, or common institutional practices.
Job Enjoyment vs. Salary & Support
Did you know that while a great majority of faculty (69.4%) find satisfaction and enjoyment in their job, an overwhelming majority (78.4%) are dissatisfied with their wages and (82.8%) don’t feel their work is valued by upper administration (i.e., President and Board of Trustees)? The “Faculty Life and Job Satisfaction” survey, sponsored by the Faculty Association’s Faculty Enhancement Committee and UFF-UNF, captured feedback on working conditions, job satisfaction, mentoring, and faculty evaluation measures. UNF has conducted similar surveys in past years not only to measure faculty perceptions of workplace issues at a given point in time, but also to provide ...
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3% vs. Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA)
Did you know that the 2019-2020 salary increase of 3% proposed by the Board of Trustees falls short of meeting the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2019 and 2020? Each October, the Social Security Administration announces the cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the next year. For 2019, the cost of living went up by 2.8%. The cost of living increased another 1.6% for 2020, for a total of 4.4%. UNF’s 2017-2024 Strategic Plan established a goal to “ensure [a] regular standard of living salary adjustment for faculty and staff.” The 3% proposed salary increase doesn’t meet that goal ...
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Operating Revenue vs. Faculty Salary
Did you know that UNF operating revenues have increased by 120% since 2007, but faculty salaries have stayed at or near the bottom of the Florida State University System (SUS)? For more than a decade, faculty have been an integral part of the university’s economic growth. However, that growth has yet to translate into fair and competitive wages. Share This:
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Salary Data by Rank
Faculty salaries at UNF are not competitive at any rank compared to peer and SUS institutions. The 3% increase proposed by the BOT will not fix the problem. Here are the facts:
The UNF-BOT set a goal to “Develop and implement a plan to raise faculty and staff salaries to be above the median among peer and SUS [i.e., Florida state university system] institutions by discipline and rank, within budget constraints” in their 2017 Strategic Plan. However, average faculty salaries at UNF continue to be well below the median of other SUS institutions by rank. How UNF compares by rank: ...
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The UNF-BOT set a goal to “Develop and implement a plan to raise faculty and staff salaries to be above the median among peer and SUS [i.e., Florida state university system] institutions by discipline and rank, within budget constraints” in their 2017 Strategic Plan. However, average faculty salaries at UNF continue to be well below the median of other SUS institutions by rank. How UNF compares by rank: ...
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2% vs. Inflation
Faculty salaries at UNF have not kept up with inflation. The 2% salary increase proposed by the BOT will not fix it. Here are the facts:
Goal III of UNF’s Strategic Plan (approved by the Board of Trustees on 9-23-17) seeks to address faculty compensation as a way to attract, support and reward talented faculty and staff who promote student success. Among strategies to achieve this goal is an action item that would ensure regular standard of living salary adjustment for faculty and staff. Here’s a look at how we are doing. Share This:
Goal III of UNF’s Strategic Plan (approved by the Board of Trustees on 9-23-17) seeks to address faculty compensation as a way to attract, support and reward talented faculty and staff who promote student success. Among strategies to achieve this goal is an action item that would ensure regular standard of living salary adjustment for faculty and staff. Here’s a look at how we are doing. Share This:
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The Salary Issue: UNF Ranks Near the Bottom
Each year, the NEA Higher Education Advocate produces “The Special Salary Study” which compares salaries at universities and colleges nationwide to identify salary trends across institutions. The 2016-2017 Faculty Salary Report examines full-time faculty salaries for 9-10 month contracts in 1570 public institutions, with state data grouped by level of degree offered. The full report can be viewed HERE. Source: NEA Higher Education Advocate, 36(2), PAGE 18 Compared to the other doctoral granting institutions in Florida’s State University system,
- UNF ranks 8th of 10 in average salary for Professors,
- UNF ranks 9th of 10 in average salary for Associate Professors,
- UNF ranks ...
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Summer Requirements
The assignment of a course during a summer term does not include other credit-generating activities such as thesis or dissertation supervision, directed individual studies, supervised teaching or research/scholarship, or supervision of interns. No faculty member shall be required to undertake such activities without compensation. Furthermore, faculty members who have not been assigned a summer course shall not be required to undertake committee work without compensation. Summer Office Hours. Faculty members shall maintain not less than two (2) office hours per week for the first course they are assigned to teach during the summer and one (1) office hour per week ...
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Union Membership Helps you Save Money!
UFF members are automatically members of NEA, AFT, and FEA, and get access their benefits programs.
- $1 million employment liability coverage
- Two free 30-minute consultations with a participating attorney each year.
- Free financial planning services and consumer information
- Free classroom resources
- Special rates on auto and home loans, mortgages, auto and home insurance policies, and disability insurance
- Discounts on hotels, auto buying, car rentals, moving costs, cellular phone plans, computers, books and media, dining, theme park tickets, movie tickets, and pet insurance.
- Scholarship programs for members’ children.
- The Union Plus credit card. After 3 months as a cardholder, you ...
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Union Dues may be Tax Deductible
As an UFF-UNF member, your dues are typically deducted from your paycheck and are considered after-tax deductions, meaning tax is withheld from your paycheck before your dues are paid. Please consult with the IRS and your tax specialist to find out about the union dues tax deduction. Note: Union dues may only be deductible if you itemize on Schedule A, but not if you take the standard deduction. To find out if you qualify for a deduction, you need to calculate your AGI (Adjusted Gross Income), as well as all unreimbursed employee expenses (see link). Your union dues may be ...
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AA Policy: Former Administrators Keep Their Salary When They Go Back to Faculty Roles
Former administrators retain the rate of pay they received as administrators even after they have returned to their non-administrator faculty roles. Typically, former administrators keep all or a portion of the stipend they received for their administrator role (depending on length of service) and the only adjustment to their former administrative salaries is that they are adjusted to 9 months rather than 12. This results in former administrators being paid significantly more than their departmental same-rank peers. In addition, former administrators are usually awarded a one-semester sabbatical at full administrator pay before returning to their faculty roles. According to the ...
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