803.620 - Off Scale Salaries for Appointments and Advancements

a) For the following academic title series only, absent advancement to Above Scale status, the campus salary limit is the annual salary rate for the highest step in the series (specific to academic year or fiscal year basis and Regular or Business/Engineering/Economics scales), plus 11 percent.

1. 1. Professor Series (also applies to those appointed as Astronomers)
   2. Teaching Professor (Lecturer with Security of Employment) Series
   3. Professional Research Series
   4. Adjunct Professor Series
   5. Project Scientist Series
   6. Specialist Series

Adjustments to the 11 percent may be considered by the Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor in conjunction with systemwide changes to the salary scales and will be published on the campus academic salary scales.

It is not appropriate for an individual appointed to any of these six academic title series listed above to be advanced from the highest step in the title series to a salary rate that exceeds the corresponding campus salary limit without undergoing a review for advancement to Above Scale status. A candidate at the highest step with an excellent record since last advancement who chooses not to proceed with a review to Above Scale status but instead requests review for a salary increase only, may be considered for a modest off-scale increase of one-third or two-thirds of a step in recognition of the candidate’s performance during the review period.

However, academic appointees in any of these six title series who advance from any step other than the highest step in their title series to a salary rate that exceeds the corresponding campus salary limit, will not necessarily be held to the corresponding campus salary limit.

This difference in the application of the campus salary limit acknowledges that some academic appointees have been appointed, advanced, or retained with off-scale salary components that may result in base salaries that exceed the campus salary limit as the result of an advancement review. For example, advancement from Professor, Step 7, off-scale to Professor, Step 8, further off-scale, may result in an off-scale salary that exceeds the campus salary limit for that series. This is distinct from a candidate who has served four years at Professor/Teaching Professor, Step 9; while there is no policy requirement or expectation that such an appointee must undergo the overall career review for advancement to Above Scale status, mere length of service and continued good performance at Step 9 are not sufficient to justify further salary advancement that exceeds the campus salary limit.

b) For all other academic title series eligible for off-scale salaries but not eligible for Above Scale status, the campus salary limit for the series is the highest published salary rate for the series. (See the Campus Academic Salary Scales).

D. Future Advancement for those with Off-Scale Salaries

In all cases, reviewers should consider the merits of the file during the review period to determine the appropriate salary recommendation, which may include a reduction or increase in an existing off-scale component, or an alignment to an on-scale salary.

E. Effect of a General Scale Adjustment on Off-Scale Salaries

The off-scale component of the salary is not subject to a general salary scale adjustment unless the Chancellor gives explicit directions to the contrary. This means that any academic appointee with an off-scale salary component within established salary scales at the time of a general scale adjustment will receive the same dollar increase in salary as those of the same title, rank, and step on the applicable salary scale (i.e., only the on-scale salary shall be adjusted unless the Chancellor directs otherwise). When an individual is appointed or advanced to an off-scale salary, the deciding authority may specify that the salary is to be unaffected by the first concurrent or subsequent general scale adjustment. In such cases, the individual must be notified in writing by the deciding authority of this stipulation.

F. Authority

See the campus Delegation of Authority Chart for a complete list of action authority. Subsections one and two, below, apply to the Professor, Teaching Professor, and Astronomer series.

1. The Dean has authority to approve off-scale salaries for delegated actions as follows:
   1. Off-scale salaries for appointments to Assistant Professor/Assistant Teaching Professor, at Steps 1 through 3, up to the annual on-scale salary rate for Professor, Step 3;
   2. Off-scale salaries for advancement actions, provided the salary increase does not exceed one and two-thirds steps; and
   3. Salary increases at Associate Professor/Associate Teaching Professor, Step 4, Professor/Teaching Professor, Step 5, and Professor/Teaching Professor, Step 9, that do not exceed the equivalent of a two-thirds step increase.
2. The Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor has authority to approve off-scale salaries for actions including:
   1. Any off-scale salaries for advancement actions if the salary increase exceeds one and two-thirds steps; and
   2. Salary increases at Associate Professor/Associate Teaching Professor, Step 4; Professor/Teaching Professor, Step 5; and Professor/Teaching Professor, Step 9, that exceed the equivalent of a two-thirds step increase.
3. The Chancellor has authority to approve salaries above the Indexed Compensation Level in cases involving merit increases of 10 percent or less for any academic title series.
4. The UC Provost and Executive Vice President has authority to approve salaries above the Indexed Compensation Level that involve new appointments, retention actions, and merit increases greater than 10 percent for any academic title series.
5. The Campus Provost/Executive Vice Chancellor has authority to set the campus salary limit.