Compensation FAQs

The Boldly Elon strategic plan runs until 2030. Elon’s goal is to be within the top third of our peers through advancing salaries and benefits by the end of the plan, and the staff compensation analysis is designed to help move us toward our goal. Phase one included individuals earning $75,000 or less and those impacted by extreme market pressures. Phase 2 included employees earning between $75,000 and $125,000 and Phase 3 will include those earning more than $125,000. We will have a more thorough understanding of how the peer adjustments contribute to this progress after the three phases are complete and adjustments have been considered across the full staff at Elon.

In addition, the Navigate Your Career Project helps support the objective – Support faculty and staff development across career stages and professional ranks with new leadership and learning pathways, and greater access to feedback, coaching and mentoring.

The job architecture development and staff compensation analysis has been completed by our consultants, Mercer, in conjunction with Human Resources. After a thorough review of our positions and the market analysis, we were pleased to learn that in many cases Elon’s salaries are competitive to the market including national university peers and local higher ed competitors.

The current scope of the project related to compensation includes permanent staff positions and full-time faculty. The current scope of the project related to job classification relates only to permanent staff positions. Temporary positions and graduate apprenticeships are not being reviewed as part of the project at this time.

Salary adjustments were made using a combination of factors.

1. Elon’s minimum wage increased from $15/hr to $18/hr beginning June 1, 2023. This significant increase allows us to be a market leader for those positions to ensure we stay competitive with large industry firms moving into our area and better support our employees.
2. Adjustments for those who were determined to be outside of their identified salary range.
3. Adjustments based on employee distance from their appropriate market rate in combination with their years of service at Elon.

Positions were analyzed and mapped appropriately within the job architecture system. Compensation for each position was compared with rates in an appropriate market. Market scopes may include local, regional or national markets, depending on the nature of the position. Elon was found to be very competitive in all markets and was able to provide a salary increase for all eligible positions during Phase 1. Employees under a performance improvement plan and some grant funded positions were not eligible. Phase 2 is currently ongoing.

Permanent staff positions are eligible to receive adjustments to meet the new minimum wage of $18/hr. Temporary positions are not eligible and will not be increased at this time.

No. There will be no adjustments made if an employee is currently being compensated above their associated market rate.

Yes. Following the mapping of individuals within the established salary structure, employees received an additional adjustment based on their years of service at Elon in combination with their distance from their identified market. Employees with more years of service and further from their identified market received a larger percentage increase compared to fewer years of service and closer to the identified market.

Since faculty positions and compensation levels are currently well-defined, based on their associated rank (e.g. lecturer, assistant professor, associate professor, etc.), the project thus far has primarily focused on staff positions.

Elon has regularly conducted studies over the years to examine salaries and develop plans to keep salaries competitive. Studying staff salaries, though, is more difficult because our national peer and aspirant list is less effective for staff positions than faculty positions. Recruitment markets vary widely across different staff positions and this review will assist us with how salaries look across the board and relative to our peers. Consulting groups conduct similar studies throughout higher education.

The market compensation study focusing on faculty members has occurred. As described during the faculty meeting on March 3, 2023, this first phase of market compensation adjustments, for eligible faculty members earning less than $75,000 per year, was effective as of the monthly September payroll in the fall of 2023.  Additional information will be shared as the faculty study progresses into phases 2 and 3.

Generally labor markets are defined by areas in which the organization competes for talent. The external market is currently being defined and will be tailored based on the nature of the role and the job family. A recommended market was provided to senior leadership for review and approval. Elon uses three markets scopes based on the type of position. These market scopes include National, Regional, and Local markets.

Yes, general industry trends will be taken into consideration.

Currently salary ranges will not be shared in vacant position postings. We will continue to review this as a part of our review process.

Market adjustments will not be made retroactive.

No. Merit increases will continue as they have in the past based on university budget, meritorious performance, etc.

The Letter of Agreement (LOA) process and the market adjustments are two separate processes. The LOA process will continue as normal with all new LOAs being released in mid-April. Eligible positions receiving market adjustments will be notified prior to their first payroll in June.

Transparency of what we will know about our level, will that be shown to us? Elon says we are worth X, Elon pays me Y?

Employees will be informed of their position placement within the job architecture (job family, job sub-family, stream, and career level) later in a separate memo. Discussions are on-going regarding the salary structure.

Data was used from various sources based on the type of position. For example, positions specific to higher education may use data from the CUPA salary survey while positions that may be found outside of higher ed utilize a combination of CUPA and other salary survey data such as Mercer’s salary database, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, etc.

The duties of the position will define the market for each position. For example, trades positions will likely use local data whereas higher level administrators may warrant the use of more national data.

Employee service years at Elon were used as part of a calculation to determine a recommended increase, placing a higher weight of increase for those employees who have a larger number of years of service and are further away from their identified market rate.

The newly developed salary structure will not be made publicly available at this time.

Salary recommendations were made by independent third-party consultants based on market data. If an employee has a request for additional review, they will need to do the following:

• Employee requests should be sent directly to their immediate supervisor. The supervisor can make the recommendation to elevate the request if there is sufficient justification and evidence to support the request.
• If justified, the supervisor will direct the request to the appropriate leadership position overseeing their area (may be VP or Director/Senior Director/AVP/Dean dependent on functional area). Area leadership will complete a review of the request and determine if any change in the recommended compensation is warranted, at which time they will elevate to the Compensation and Recruitment team for final review.