The University will offer a 3 percent faculty and staff pay raise pool to each department, LSU President F. King Alexander announced in a broadcast email to University faculty and staff on Monday.
“Though this does not adequately reflect my and the Board of Supervisors’ appreciation of your service to the university, I hope you will welcome this not only as a sign of our gratitude for your tireless efforts to support LSU and our students, but also as an indication of our intent to invest in you, the backbone of our university, more regularly than we have been able to over the last several years,” Alexander said in the email.
The raise did not happen overnight, Alexander said, citing the stabilization of higher education’s budget in the most recent legislative session. Alexander said the raise is a “necessary action.”
Faculty and professional employee pay raises will be effective Sept. 1. Classified employees will receive a 1 percent adjustment on Oct. 1, followed by a 2 percent adjustment on Jan. 1, 2018, the email said.
Read the full email statement below:
“Dear Faculty and Staff,
I am very pleased to share that LSU will make available to each department a 3% merit pay raise pool. Though this does not adequately reflect my and the Board of Supervisors’ appreciation of your service to the university, I hope you will welcome this not only as a sign of our gratitude for your tireless efforts to support LSU and our students, but also as an indication of our intent to invest in you, the backbone of our university, more regularly than we have been able to over the last several years.
This did not happen overnight. Several factors convened to make this raise a reality. Gov. Edwards and the Legislature stabilized higher education’s budget in the most recent legislative session, providing us the fiscal ability to further support the great work of our faculty and staff. During debate, legislators cited the efforts of all state employees and reiterated that it was time to invest in people, which is a university’s greatest asset. Additionally, student leaders have continually expressed their support of making investments in the faculty and staff because they know the benefit of working with the best and brightest.
This is a necessary action. In order to retain and attract quality talent, we have to adequately reward our dedicated employees. LSU operates within a national marketplace for faculty, staff, and students, and market forces do not yield to state budget shortfalls. In fact, this situation has made our talent more attractive to outside employers than ever. Our students and citizens are not well-served by a revolving door of faculty and staff at Louisiana’s flagship university. To retain our most important asset – you – LSU must become more competitive with the other great American universities, which makes this small step forward imperative.
Your management team has the details of the merit raise process, which reflects an average of 3% across the University for eligible faculty and staff. Faculty and professional employee pay raises will be effective September 1. Classified employees will receive a 1% adjustment on October 1, followed by a 2% adjustment on January 1, 2018. The Governor and Legislature agreed to provide a 2% pool of funds for classified employees based on State Civil Service’s reform proposals.
Thank you for your continued service to LSU and our students. Good luck this semester.
F. King Alexander”
