Salary Administration

Section 3.I – Salary Administration

The North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges Code 1C SBCCC 400.94 grants to the President the authority to establish salaries and hourly rates of pay for college personnel.

A College salary schedule guides salary administration to include initial assignment of salaries or hourly wages; salary or wage adjustments necessitated by promotions, demotions, or significant changes in responsibilities and duties or education; and adjustments that recognize merit in job performance.

Once an employee’s salary or wages has been established, it may from time to time be adjusted based on job duties, performance, or educational attainment as authorized by the President. An employee may request a salary review prior to contract issuance or if job responsibilities significantly change.

Longevity pay is available to full‐time employees who have completed at least 10 years of aggregate service to the State of North Carolina. For details concerning the requirements and methods for computing longevity pay, see: North Carolina State Board of Community Colleges Code 1CBCCC 400.98, Longevity Pay Plan for College Personnel.

Vance-Granville Community College
Staff Position Classification and Salary Plan

The Vance-Granville Community College Staff Position Classification and Salary Plan (the Plan) was developed and implemented to determine the relative value of one job to another within Vance-Granville Community College (internal equity). The Plan includes both levels and ranges for all established staff positions as well as a method for computation of actual salary. Copies of the plan are available to all employees through the Office of Human Resources.

The President of the College, in consultation with the appropriate Vice President and the Executive Director of Human Resources, establishes salaries for all College employees other than the President whether part time, temporary or for full time positions. Salaries for staff are based on position level ranges and take into consideration qualifications, experience and certain market factors.

The Plan was developed utilizing the National Position Evaluation Plan as a basis, modified to reflect language more applicable to a community college environment. The factors and criteria upon which each position is evaluated are more descriptive of the staff positions found in a community college and provide a more valid analysis in determining the differences between positions in terms of their relative requirements. Each position is evaluated in terms of its minimum requirements to determine the degree of skill, effort, responsibility, and working conditions in relation to other positions within the College. The positions are evaluated without considering the qualifications of the incumbents or their rates of pay. Positions are also evaluated without regard to race, sex, age, national origin, veteran’s status, and physical or mental handicap.

In interviews with the management of the College, and in accordance with the criteria established by the plan, each position has been evaluated based on eleven separate requirement factors:

• Training
  • Knowledge
  • Experience
• Initiative
  • Complexity of Duties
  • Supervision Received
• Responsibility
  • Impact of Errors
  • Contacts with Others (internal and External)
  • Confidential data
• Job Conditions
  • Mental Attention/Visual Demands
  • Working Conditions
• Supervision
  • Character of Supervision
  • Scope of Supervision

Positions that do not supervise other employees were not evaluated using the “Supervision” factors.

Each factor evaluated has up to six degrees with a weighted point factor assigned to each degree. Points are accumulated for each position and the total number of points for each position determines the level to which the position is assigned.

There is a total of 22 position levels in the plan. Each position at the College is assigned to one of those levels.

Staff Salary Computation Worksheet

The Staff Salary Computation Worksheet – New Hires is used to compute the annual salaries for newly employed staff or current part-time or temporary staff who transfer to a full time position. Note: In the case of an employee who has been working part time, each two years of part time service will count as one year of full time employment

Faculty members who transfer to a staff position will have their annual compensation determined by completion of the Salary Computation Worksheet – Faculty to Staff Transfers. (See the appropriate section found later in this document.) This form should be prepared by the Human Resources department, signed by the Executive Director of Human Resources and approved by the appropriate Vice President and the President of the College. The form should be kept in the employee’s personnel file.

In the event there is a shortage of qualified candidates available for the position or it is determined to be in the best interest of the College to employ an individual with a particular set of skills relevant to the position, a “Demand Factor” may be applied regardless of whether the salary computation is below or above the mid-point. Any requests for a demand factor must be approved by the President of the College.

Determination of New Position Level

The level of a new position in the Vance-Granville Community College Staff Salary Plan will be determined using the same criteria for evaluation of all staff positions.

The appropriate Vice President, after consultation with the Executive Director of Human Resources, will make a recommendation to the College President who makes the final decision. The College may approve the use of an outside consultant to assist in this process and conduct all new position level assignments.

In the event the key job duties and responsibilities of an existing position are significantly changed, the appropriate Vice President, after consultation with the Executive Director of Human Resources, will make a recommendation to the President regarding whether or not it is, in fact, a new position or if it is an existing position that has had a significant change in duties.

The President will determine whether the position is a new position or an existing “changed” position. Once the President makes this determination, the position will be evaluated and leveled in accordance with the College approved process.

Hiring of Temporary and Part Time Employees

Individuals hired for temporary or part time assignments may not be hired at a rate greater than the minimum for the position level without the approval of the appropriate Vice President of the College and the Vice President of Finance and Operations.

Reassignment to a Position in a Higher Level

Employees may be selected for a position in a higher level than their current assignment. When this happens, the employee will be eligible to receive an increase in pay to at least the minimum of the salary range of the new position level or an increase of 8%, whichever is greater. Any exception to this must be approved by the President of the College.

Reassignment to a Position in a Lower Level

If the assignment is to a level lower than the current level, the employee’s new rate of pay will  be determined as follows:

1. If the assignment to the lower level is required by the College, the employee will remain at his/her current rate of pay, not to exceed the maximum of the new level to which the employee is assigned unless otherwise approved by the President.
2. If the assignment to the lower level is the result of a request from the employee, the new rate of pay will be at the same point within the new range as the employee’s previous rate of pay in the previous range, or the employee’s salary as computed on the staff salary computation worksheet, whichever is greater.

Any exception to this must be approved by the President of the College.

Temporary Assignment to a Position in a Higher Level/Assumption of Additional Duties

Occasionally, employees may be asked to temporarily assume some or all of the duties of a vacant position in a higher level than their regular job or duties of a position in an equal or lower level. When this occurs, the employee will continue to receive his/her current rate of pay. However, if the temporary assignment is intended for more than 30 calendar days, the employee may be eligible for additional compensation in the amount of up to 10% of the employee’s salary or the minimum of the temporary position paygrade, whichever is greater, up until the appointment ends.

Salary Increases Within an Existing Level

An individual salary increase may be considered when circumstances warrant it. This will generally be the result of an individual employee assuming additional duties and responsibilities that are not sufficient enough to warrant re-leveling of the position. Any request for a salary increase within an existing level must be within budgetary restrictions and have the final approval of the College President.

Determination of Existing Position Request for Re-leveling

If a position incurs significant change in duties/responsibilities, a Request for Position Releveling must be completed and submitted to the appropriate Vice President. The Vice President will either approve or disapprove the request. If approved, the request will be forwarded to the Executive Director of Human Resources who will review the request and make a recommendation to the President who will make the final decision.

The College may approve the use of an outside consultant to conduct all existing position requests for re-leveling. Requests for re-leveling need not always result in an assignment to a new pay level.

If the re-evaluation results in the position being placed in a lower level, the employee’s pay will not be reduced but will remain at the same rate as before the re-leveling. If the re-evaluation results in the position being placed in a higher level than previously assigned, an increase will be considered subject to availability of funds. Any increase awarded will be at least to the minimum of the new level.

Recognition of Advanced Degrees

The College encourages its employees to advance their education by pursuing and achieving advanced degrees. Full-time staff employees in regularly allotted positions who earn an academic degree higher than the one held at the time of employment, or an additional degree, shall receive an increase in compensation according to the following conditions:

• The employee must receive approval in writing from the appropriate Vice President before the coursework begins, which indicates that additional compensation will be forthcoming subsequent to the degree being awarded.
• The degree must be related to the employee’s current or future employment with the College.
• The employee must provide evidence of coursework completion and the degree awarded.
• The degree must be conferred by an institution of higher education accredited by one of the six regional accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and must be directly related to the employee’s work at the College.
• Degrees acceptable for the increase are: Associates, Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate.
• No increase shall be given for the attainment of the next higher degree to employees hired with the written understanding that completion of such a degree is a condition for continued employment.
• During periods of limited budget availability, the Administration may declare a moratorium on implementing pay increases for earned higher degrees with the provision that employees who otherwise qualify would receive their increase at the beginning of the next fiscal year after which funds become available. In such cases, no retroactive increase will be provided to compensate for the moratorium period.
• Upon attaining an additional or higher degree, the salary increase will be implemented at the beginning of the next fiscal year contract period. Employees must send an official transcript of the newly earned degree to Human Resources in order to be eligible for the increase.

The amount of the annual pay increase shall be set in accordance with the following table:

All advanced degree salary increases are subject to availability of funds and the approval of the College President.

Tuition Reimbursement

If a staff member is required to obtain a certification or an additional degree because of the requirements of the College, the tuition and other directly related expenses may be reimbursed by the College. Upon completion of the certification or degree, the staff member will be required to remain employed at the College for a period of three years unless mutually agreed upon otherwise. If the employee leaves before the end of that period, he/she will be obligated to reimburse the College on a pro rata basis. For example, if the employee leaves the College after one year, two-thirds of the incurred costs must be reimbursed.

Conversion of Salary to Hourly Rate of Pay

A “salary” that is expressed in terms of an annual salary may be converted to an hourly rate of pay by taking the annual salary and dividing that amount by 2080 hours. 2080 hours is the equivalent of a 40 hour work week times 52 weeks in a year.

Periodic Review of Pay Levels

In an effort to maintain the integrity of the Vance-Granville Community College Staff Pay Plan and to ensure that the pay ranges in each level remain competitive with the “market”, the College will periodically undertake a review of its pay levels. As a general rule, this review will take place at least every three to five years. The College reserves the right to utilize an independent consultant to conduct the review.

Future Compensation and Compensation Beyond a Pay Level Maximum

It is understood that, under certain circumstances, an employee’s salary may be more than the maximum of the range for that level. For future salary increases, employees whose pay is in excess of the level maximum may not be eligible for future increases except those mandated by the North Carolina General Assembly. It should be noted that any increase in salary will only apply to those staff members who are in good standing at the time of the adjustment.

Effective Date of Pay Plan

This pay plan, as voted on and approved by the College’s Board of Trustees effective September 16, 2019 replaces and supersedes any previous pay plans in effect prior to the adoption date.

(approved September 16, 2019)

Five-Year Faculty Salary Plan – beginning Fall 2021

The objective of the VGCC Faculty Salary Plan is to have the salary of each full-time faculty member, depending on their years of service and academic degree, at or above the respective level shown below. The scale was developed based on a faculty member’s salary after thirty years being at least thirty percent higher than the State mandated beginning minimum salary for that degree. The thirty percent difference is divided into thirty equal steps. It is not the purpose of these scales to establish a salary range for a position but only to ensure that faculty members are being equitably compensated for their years of service by establishing a minimum salary that should be met or exceeded. If the State changes the minimum required salary levels, the scales will be revised by increasing each step of the scale by the amount of the increase in the minimum salaries.

The College will pursue a five-year plan to get all faculty at or above their appropriate figure in the scale listed below. The plan addresses the largest gaps first, but all faculty should be at or above the minimum of their future scale by year five. (Please note, this is a moving target.) See the following chart for our targeted approach:

Faculty Salary Scale