Panel seeks to boost college faculty salaries

Monday, May 16, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Salaries of faculty at the Community College of Southern Nevada are lagging behind the average paid in other community colleges, a situation the Assembly Ways and Means Committee wants to remedy.

The committee Friday agreed to create a pool of money to boost the salaries over the next two years.

Mark Stevens, legislative fiscal analyst, told the committee a consultant hired between legislative sessions to review the University and Community College System found that the salaries at most of the community colleges were at the national level but that CCSN was below it by about $4,000.

Stevens said the major reason was the rapid growth of enrollment, forcing the school to hire faculty at lower salaries.

Assemblywoman Chris Giun-chigliani, D-Las Vegas, said the average salary is $54,000 at CCSN, compared to $58,000 in other colleges.

The committee agreed to put $3.1 million next fiscal year and $6.2 million the following fiscal year into the budget to fund increases to raise the salaries. It would be in addition to the committee's approval to continue a 2.5 percent merit pay pool for all professional employees for the University and Community College System faculty, excluding positions at or above the assistant dean level.

It also recommended a 2 percent per year pay increase for classified workers in the system and agreed to allocate money for a 10 percent pay raise for police officers at all the schools. Gov. Kenny Guinn had recommended a 10 percent increase for all law enforcement officers but had left out the recommendation for the university police.

The changes would add $360,000 to the budget in fiscal 2006 and $376,000 in fiscal 2007.

The committee also agreed with Guinn's recommendation to finance UNLV Dental School faculty for the fourth year, costing $2.9 million a year. The general fund will provide $1.8 million. This will support the addition of 26 new positions at the school and allow the enrollment to grow from 225 to 300 next fiscal year.

The committee will have to meet with the Senate Finance Committee to iron out its differences in the budgets not only for the university but also for other state agencies.