FY2021-22 Salary Increase Guidance
NUMBERED MEMO CC21- 060 (REVISED 12/21/2021)
TO: Community College Presidents Chief Financial Officers, Business Officers, Personnel Officers
FROM: Elizabeth Grovenstein Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
SUBJECT: FY 2021-22 Salary Increase Guidance
DATE: January 7, 2022
Session Law 2021-180 as amended by Session Law 2021-189 directs that a salary increase of 2.5% be provided to community college employees effective July 1, 2021. Section 39.17 directs that the amount of the legislative salary increases authorized for the period from July 1 to December 31, 2021, shall be paid in the form of a bonus (also being referred to as a “retro” or “catch up” payment) equal to the authorized legislative salary increase for those months worked. In addition, Section 39.12(d) requires that effective July 1, 2021, no State-funded community college employee shall earn less than $13 per hour. With the exception of the college president, the minimum amount for a State-funded full-time employee is $27,040 and the maximum amount is $132,770 for FY 2021-22. No state-funded full-time employee shall earn less than $27,040 per year. The minimum amount is the annual equivalent of the required $13 per hour minimum. Funding provided in Session Law 2021-180 is for State-funded community college employees only and may only be used for this purpose. Salary increases for nonstate funded employees must be funded from those non-state sources.
The minimum salaries for 9-month, full-time curriculum community college faculty for FY 2021-22 are:
NOTE: The pro-rata hourly rate of the minimum salary for adjunct curriculum faculty is calculated by dividing the full-time minimum by 1560 hours and increasing that derived hourly rate by 15%.
Numbered Memo CC21-060 (REVISED 12/21/2021)
January 7, 2022 Page 2
No curriculum faculty, including adjuncts, shall be paid less than the amounts above for FY 2021-22 contracts. Therefore, any contract starting on or after July 1, 2021, shall be adjusted and a “retro” payment made to reflect minimum rates in the above table.
Who is eligible for the 2.5% increase?
Employees must have been employed on both June 30, 2021, and December 31, 2021.
If the employee was employed on both of these dates, employees with permanent full-time, permanent part-time statuses including those with probationary and time-limited appointments are eligible, including those permanent full-time employees who work a 9-, 10-, or 11-month schedule, and employees on leave of absence with and without pay.
Temporary employees are not automatically entitled to the 2.5%. Colleges have the option to provide the 2.5% to temporary employees if funds are available.
Colleges should use their local policy regarding the definitions of permanent and temporary employees.
Under Section 39.17(a) of the Appropriations Act, an employee who was not employed continuously on a full-time basis since July 1, 2021, shall receive the bonus (“retro” salary increase) on a prorated and equitable basis. Therefore,
- Permanent part-time employees will receive the increase based upon the salary for the hours worked.
- An employee will receive the salary increase if employed on June 30, 2021, left employment, but then returned to employment on or before December 31, 2021. In this situation the “retro” amount will only be based upon the months the employee worked for the college.
Permanent full-time employees who work a 9-, 10-, or 11-month schedule are considered employed and are eligible for the “retro” salary increase if employed on June 30, 2021 and December 31, 2021 without a separation in service. The “retro” amount for these employees shall be the same calculation as for permanent full-time employees who work a 12 month schedule (if there is no separation of service); the “retro” amount shall be for the period from July 1 to December 31, 2021 which is half of the 2.5% annual salary increase.
If an employee was employed by an NC community college, the System Office, another State agency, the UNC System, or was a noncertified or central office NC public school employee on June 30, 2021 and transferred to a position at another NC community college, the System Office, another State agency, or the UNC System and continues to be employed on December 31, 2021, the employee is eligible. The current employer (NC community college) will need to contact the June 30, 2021, employer to determine that employee’s June 30, 2021 salary to determine the correct calculation of the 2.5% amount.
Salary to which the 2.5% is Applied?
The 2.5% legislative increase will be calculated based upon the annual salary in effect on June 30, 2021. If an eligible State-funded community college employee is paid less than $13 per hour, the employee shall receive the greater of the 2.5% OR the amount necessary to increase the eligible employee’s salary to $13 per hour. (Continue)
