THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN (ECP)
Effective May 1, 2000
I. PURPOSE OF THE PLAN
CUNY’s Executive Compensation Plan has several purposes:
• To enable the University to offer competitive salaries to its managerial staff permitting the recruitment and retention of highly qualified and ultimately successful executives;
• To enable executives to align individual goals with CUNY’s System and College goals;
• To create a simple framework for goal-setting and performance evaluation;
• To focus on results and behaviors;
• To create connections between performance and rewards.
II. SUMMARY OF MODIFICATIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS PLAN
Below are the major changes to the ECP salary plan:
• The Chancellor: A range for the Chancellor’s salary has been established consistent with that of the SUNY Chancellor.
• The Executive Vice Chancellor: A new title of Executive Vice Chancellor, with an appropriate salary range, has been established; the title of Deputy Chancellor has been abolished.
• President: Ranges for presidential salaries have been established. Further, colleges have been segmented based on size and complexity.
• Deans of the Medical and Law Schools: Ranges have been established for both positions.
• Senior Vice Chancellor: A new, generic title of Senior Vice Chancellor has been established. This title replaces the Senior Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Planning, Construction and Management that existed earlier.
• Vice Chancellor: A range has been established for this title.
• Secretary of the Board: A specific classification for Secretary of the Board with a corresponding salary range has been added; in the past this title was absorbed within the University Administrator title.
• Salary ranges have also been modified for the following titles: University Dean/University; Administrator and Vice President; Dean/Administrator/Assistant Vice President; University Associate Dean/University Associate Administrator; Associate Dean/Associate Administrator.
• REMS: All REMs have been folded into the ECP effective May 1 , 2000. Current REM salaries have been incorporated into the new salary ranges.
• Control points have been abolished.
• Authorized number of executives for colleges no longer apply. Colleges are expected to be prudent in their allocation of executive positions and sensitive to the ratio of executives to other employees within the institution as well as to size of student body, physical plant, etc.
III. PARTICIPATION
• Appendix I shows the titles and salary ranges for all positions in the ECP, effective May 1, 2000.
All ECP employees will be reviewed annually and will receive increases, subject to financial ability, on the basis of performance ratings. Overall performance will consist of two elements: goal achievement and behavioral competencies.
A. Goal Setting and Assessment
1. In the spring of each year, the Chancellor will announce the University’s goals for the upcoming academic year. Goals and objectives throughout CUNY will generally be defined in three strategic areas:
• academic quality
• student success
• financial and management effectiveness
2. Soon after the University’s goals have been communicated, each President, working with the Chancellery, will translate CUNY system goals into specific goals for his/her college. In addition to the linkage with system goals, unique challenges faced by institutions may result in additional goals being set. Each President will meet with the Chancellor to discuss the previous year’s accomplishments and the new goals for the upcoming academic year. Goals for individual Presidents will reflect those for the college.
3. Once goals have been set for each campus, the President will meet with campus executives to establish individual executive goals aligned with the college goals, and to assess the previous year’s accomplishments and achievement of behavioral competencies. Similarly, the Chancellor (or his/her designee) will meet with members of the Chancellery to discuss overall accomplishments and behavioral competencies as well as upcoming targets. Although it is desirable to create individual linkages in all three strategic areas, (academic quality, student success, financial and management effectiveness) it is recognized that not all executives can impact all areas, in those cases, goals will be established for the specific areas in which the executive can be effective. Sufficient flexibility will be allowed to accommodate unanticipated changes in objectives (such as additional objectives or shifts in priorities, etc.) that occur during the academic year.
B. Behavioral Competencies
Four key behaviors have been identified for CUNY executive success:
• Leadership
• Management/Teambuilding Skills
• Communication
• Adaptability to Change
1. As part of the discussion with the Chancellor, College Presidents may have personal development goals set in one or more behavioral areas. Personal development goals need not be shared with the college community as a component of the college goals.
2. Executives at levels below the President will be evaluated on the degree to which they demonstrate all four key behaviors.
3. Members of the Chancellery will be evaluated in the same manner as campus executives.
IV. PERFORMANCE RATINGS
Executives will be rated on goal attainment and behaviors as follows:
• Outstanding (Exceeds goals)
• Effective (Meets goals)
• Needs improvement (Does not meet all goals)
• Does Not Meet Expectations (Does not meet most goals)
Copies of the performance tools to be used are attached herein and labeled Appendix II.
V. LINKAGE OF PERFORMANCE TO PAY
• Upon completion of the goal setting and assessment process, the Chancellor may recommend increases for Presidents and allocate available funds among the campuses. The amounts may vary depending upon the college’s attainment of specific goals/objectives.
• Once the campus has concluded its goal setting and assessment process, increases for campus executives can be recommended. Each college President will determine how to allocate increases within the campus. It is recommended that executives within a college be ranked relative to each other with the top performers receiving the highest pay increases and the lowest performers receiving less or not receiving any pay increases at all.
• The Chancellor will recommend increases for members of the Chancellery upon completion of a comparable process.
• During the first transitional year (1999-2000 only) increases will be effective July 1. In all subsequent years recommended increases will become effective October 1.
VI. FUNDING FOR INCREASES
• Each academic year the Chancellor will determine and announce the extent of funds available for increases University-wide.
• Funds will be allocated from the CUNY budget.
• Available funds may vary from campus to campus depending on attainment of specific goals and objectives. Colleges that do not achieve all goals may receive partial or no funding for salary increases.
VII. APPOINTMENTS TO THE ECP AND CHANGES IN TITLE
• Appointments to positions in the ECP are expected to be filled via the search process.
• Colleges must notify the Office of Faculty and Staff Relations (OFSR) of all new appointments to the ECP via letter with a copy of the candidate’s resume attached.
• Effective dates for appointments continue to follow the Chancellor/University Report guidelines.
• Appointments to positions of campus Vice President and Senior Vice President will continue to require the approval of the Board of Trustees’ FSA committee.
• Reclassification/upgrades from one title to another in the ECP are permitted with notification to OFSR via a letter which discusses the new job description. An updated resume for the candidate should be appended.
• Movement into a vacant position continues to require a search.
• Reclassifications are to become effective the first of the month following the Board’s approval of the action.
VIII.. SALARY ADMINISTRATION
• Colleges can place a new ECP member at any salary on the appropriate range, however, it is recommended that initial salaries for new appointees be no higher than the mid-point of the range unless there is a compelling reason to exceed the midpoint.
• Determinations about initial salaries should take into account differing levels of skills and experience, as well as market requirements and previous accomplishments of the candidate.
• All executives are expected to be mindful of internal equity when determining salaries for newly hired staff.
• Increases to the New York State Management/Confidential Salary schedule will automatically increase the ECP ranges, but will not affect individual executive salaries.
• Increases will be processed one time per year, usually for an October 1 effective date. OFSR will "batch" process recommendations for increases. For the transitional year 1999-2000 increases will be effective July 1, 2000.