3.02.16 - Compensation Structure

Policy Title: Compensation Structure

Impact: Benefits Eligible Employees

Responsibility: Human Resources

Effective Date: 10/31/18

Last Update:

Relates to Procedure: 3.02.16

Legal Citation(s):

I. Policy Narrative

North Idaho College (NIC) recognizes that an established compensation structure system is one of the most effective ways to attract, retain, motivate, and reward employees, who are critical to the success of the college’s mission. When the organization consists of skilled and motivated employees, the college thrives. Furthermore, step-based compensation structures provide a framework for fair and consistent pay policies and help monitor and control the implemented pay practices. Finally, they serve to demonstrate possible pay opportunities to prospective and current employees. Effective and transparent compensation structures are critical for the college to maintain a shared sense of internal equity and fairness. Therefore, the support of the college’s annual step-based compensation structure will be a high priority for annual budgetary planning.

II. Compensation Structure

To ensure that all employee compensation structures are fair and competitive, NIC will review salaries internally and externally at least every five (5) years. These reviews will be used to ensure the base structures are comparable with other institutions and to identify potential market driven anomalies in the structure.

III. Compensation Structure Placement and Advancement

1. Initial placement on the compensation structure is determined by the Human Resources Office according to the employee’s documented and position-related education and experience.
2. After initial placement, employees will advance one step for each year of benefitted employment as described in procedure 3.02.16. Staff will receive step advancement according to the staff compensation structure procedure. Faculty will receive step advancement as well as education and professional development advancement according to the faculty compensation structure procedure.
3. NIC’s administration prepares an annual budget for board of trustees approval through a collaborative budgeting process. The administration may withhold step advancements only in the event of significant or unexpected financial needs that result in funding not being available. The administration will make public, the data used in making this decision and will invite broad input from the campus community prior to presenting the budget to the board of trustees. The board of trustees will have final approval of the budget proposed by NIC’s administration. Should the board of trustees decide to override the administration’s decision for honoring or withholding step advancements, it will make public, its rationale for making this decision.
4. Placement and advancement for positions not funded by the college may adhere to a separate compensation structure and procedure.

Procedure Title: Faculty Compensation Structure

Impact: Faculty

Responsibility: Human Resources

Effective Date: 07/01/17

Last Update:

Relates to Policy: 3.02.16

Legal Citation(s):

Full-time benefit-eligible faculty members (faculty) and administrators are expected to give full professional attention to their duties and responsibilities as outlined in the Teaching Focus policy. Faculty at North Idaho College are paid according to a schedule approved by the Board of Trustees.

I. Salary Schedule

1. Initial placement on the salary schedule is determined by the employee’s documented education and experience and in accordance with the Administrative Guidelines for Placement on the Faculty Compensation Schedule published by the Human Resources Office. Placements are reviewed by the division chair and dean, and approved by the vice president for instruction (VPI).
2. The faculty salary schedule includes vertical step advancement in rows based on years of experience and horizontal column advancement based on degrees occupational certifications, and professional development. The base salary and multipliers for each row and column are determined by discussions with faculty and college administration through the Meet and Confer process.

II. Step Placement and Advancement

After initial appointment, step advancement will be made each year on the basis of one step for each full year of full-time employment at North Idaho College.  Absences exceeding 12 consecutive weeks may disqualify the employee from progressing a step for that contract year.  Faculty granted a sabbatical for all or part of a contract year will be eligible for step advancement for that year.

III.  Column Placement and Advancement

The level of educational attainment, professional development, and/or training shall determine columnar placement for that entire academic year. Faculty column movement as a result of professional development will adhere to the Faculty Professional Development policy and procedure.

IV. General Studies Faculty Definition of Columns

1. The following column designations based on academic qualifications, education credits, or professional development units (PDU) are used for salary placement for general studies faculty:
   1. Bachelor’s Degree and 0-15 upper-division college credits and professional development units (PDUs).
   2. Bachelor’s Degree and >15-30 credits and PDUs.
   3. Master’s Degree and 0-15 credits and PDUs.
   4. Master’s Degree and >15-30 credits and PDUs.
   5. Master’s Degree and >30-45 credits and PDUs
   6. Master’s Degree and >45-60 credits and PDUs.
   7. Master’s Degree and >60 credits and PDUs or Doctorate degree.
2. If a candidate has completed an accredited master’s degree program that requires more than 30 semester hours based on accepted professional standards, such as but not limited to a Master of Fine Arts or a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology, the candidate may be placed beyond a master’s plus zero.

V. Career and Technical Faculty Definition of Columns

The following column designations based on State of Idaho occupational certification levels, academic qualifications, education credits, or professional development units (PDUs) are used for salary placement for career and technical education faculty:

1. Occupational Certificates/Non-Degreed:
   1. Limited Certificate (L.C)/Non-Degree
   2. Standard Certificate (S.C.)/Non-Degree
   3. Advanced Certificate (A.C)/Non-Degree
2. Academic Credits (B.S. Degree), Occupational Certificate, credits and PDUs:
   1. B.S. Degree + L.C. + 0-15 credits
   2. B.S. Degree + L.C. + >15-30 credits
   3. B.S. Degree + L.C. + > 30 credits
3. Academic Credits (B.S. degree), Occupational Certificate(s):
   1. B.S. Degree + S.C.
   2. B.S. Degree + A.C.
4. Academic Credits (Master’s), Occupational Certificate, credits and PDUs:
   1. Masters + 0-15 credits
   2. Masters + >15 -30 credits
   3. Masters + >30 or Doctorate degree

VI. Payments to Faculty Employees at a Column Maximum

1. Once faculty employees reach the maximum step of their column, the employees’ base pay will not advance beyond the maximum step of the column.
2. To recognize faculty for their year of service, employees who have reached the maximum step of their column will receive a stipend equivalent to 2.5% of their annual salary.
3. Human Resources will communicate to each employee the amount of this stipend payment and the date on which the payment will be made.

VII. Full-time Load for Faculty

1. Full-time load is defined as an average workload of fifteen (15) credit hours equivalency per semester, or thirty (30) credit hours equivalency per twelve months. The instructional load may differ among faculty due to varying teaching responsibilities. An assignment that includes fourteen (14) credit hours in the fall semester and sixteen (16) credit hours in the spring semester, for example, would not be regarded as involving an overload during the second semester.  All workloads must be approved by a dean and the VPI.  A full-time annual teaching contract will not exceed 30 semester credits.
2. Credit-hour equivalency is calculated on contact time with students according to the credit hour policy.
3. A full-time faculty member is normally expected to spend thirty (30) hours per week on campus unless special considerations are agreed upon between the faculty member and the responsible administrator.

Administration recognizes and appreciates that the demands of full-time teaching significantly exceeds thirty (30) hours, encompassing grading, class preparation, curriculum and professional development, scholarly reading, and professional writing.

VIII. Overload Assignment

Overload assignments, when requested by faculty, will be limited to 160% (9 credits) of full-time load assignment per semester.  In extenuating circumstances, exceptions to this procedure may be made at the  request of the dean on the recommendation of the division chair.  The request must include a rationale for the additional overload assignment and be approved by the VPI.  Overload assignments that exceed 160% must be requested each semester. The office of instruction will provide detailed guidelines on full-time faculty overload. 

IX. Division Chairs

The instructional load may vary among chairs because of variances in contract types, administrative responsibilities, as well as the different foci of each division; however, generally, division chairs have 12 credits of re-assigned time to perform the division chair duties. Exceptions to this procedure will be made at the discretion of the dean and approved by the vice president of instruction.

X.  Library Faculty

The job duties and specific functions that constitute the full-time load for librarians shall be considered equivalent to the full-time load of other academic faculty as described in this policy for the purposes of compensation.  These duties and functions are defined in the job description of each faculty librarian.

XI. Part-time/Adjunct Instructors

Part-time instructors who teach up to nine (9) credit hours or less per semester will be compensated at a pre-established rate of pay.  These rates will be published annually by the college and applied consistently.

Part-time instructors are expected to schedule and post office hours on the basis of their teaching assignment, with the expectation that for every three credits taught, instructors provide one office hour per week. 

XII. Substitute Instructors

Instructors are compensated at a pre-determined hourly rate of pay.

XIII. Summer School Instructors

Summer school instructors are compensated at a part-time/adjunct rate of pay, unless otherwise indicated in their contract.

Procedure Title: Staff Compensation Structure

Impact: Staff

Responsibility: Human Resources

Effective Date: 07/01/17

Last Update: 01/22/2026

Relates to Policy: 3.02.16

Legal Citation(s):

All benefits eligible staff are compensated according to structures approved by the Board of Trustees. This procedure does not apply to positions designated as faculty or non-benefits eligible and may not apply to positions funded outside the general fund budget allocation.

1. Position Placement and Evaluation

   1. Human Resources works with the supervisor to establish an accurate job description. Benefits eligible staff positions must have a job description on file with Human Resources.

   2. Human Resources utilizes job descriptions to place the position into a staff compensation structure and grade in consideration of the position’s responsibilities, scope, decision-making authority, organizational impact, required education and experience, and oversight of others (as applicable).

   3. Benefits eligible staff positions are categorized as exempt/overtime ineligible (professional) or non-exempt/overtime eligible (classified) according to guidance under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). Exempt staff positions are paid on a salary basis while non-exempt staff positions are paid on an hourly basis.0

   4. Adjustments to the staff salary structures are made through the annual budget process with input from staff through the Meet and Confer process.

2. Initial Placement on Compensation Structure

   1. Before a candidate is offered benefits eligible employment, Human Resources will evaluate their education and experience against the minimum requirements of the job description to determine at which step they will initially be placed. Additional consideration is given to internal equity for existing staff in the same or similar positions.

   2. The step identified by Human Resources is the step that will be offered.

   3. Initial placement will not exceed the midpoint level of the position’s identified grade on the compensation structure. This maximum placement level ensures pay compression issues are minimized as new hires begin working alongside staff already placed and advancing through the steps. Any exceptions to initial placement will require approval by the President and Human Resources.

3. Advancement on the Staff Compensation Structure

   1. If a step is approved by the Board of Trustees during the annual budget process, eligible staff will advance one step up to the maximum step of their grade.

   2.  Staff employed on or before March 31 will be eligible for step advancement in the upcoming fiscal year.

   3. Staff granted a sabbatical for all or part of a contract year will be eligible for step advancement for that year.

   4. Step advancement will occur at the beginning of each fiscal year or at the beginning of the employment agreement, where that date is later.  Human Resources will communicate to staff the amount of their new pay rate and the date on which the rate will begin prior to the start date of the new rate, when feasible.

   5. Movement of a position from one structure and/or grade to another structure and/or grade occurs only through the reclassification process or a market driven adjustment as approved by Human Resources, the respective President’s Cabinet member, and the President. 

   6. Benefits eligible staff may move from one structure and/or grade to another if they apply and are hired for another benefits eligible position, according to the appropriate Human Resources hiring procedures.

4. Payments to Employees at the Grade Maximum

   1. Once staff reach the maximum step of their grade, their base pay will not advance beyond the maximum rate of the grade assigned to the position.

   2. To recognize staff for the most recent year of service, staff who have previously reached the maximum step of their grade will receive a stipend equivalent to 2.5% of their annual salary for the fiscal year, if a step is approved by the Board of Trustees. 

   3. The total stipend will be divided into quarterly payments.  Human Resources will communicate the amount and the dates on which the payments will be made. To receive each payment, staff must be employed on the designated payment dates.