Council resolution supports separate appropriation for salary increases
Author: Anne Krapfl
Author: Anne Krapfl
Frustrated by the incapacity of annual state operating appropriations to fund meaningful salary increases for employees, the Professional and Scientific Council on Oct. 12 introduced a resolution that supports including regent university employees in a state employee salary increase bill. The intent is to distinguish operating appropriations from salary increase appropriations. The resolution essentially reinforces the language in the state Board of Regents' annual appropriations requests to the state (executive and legislative branches) on behalf of the universities.
For example, last month, this language was part of the annual appropriations request for fiscal year 2025, which begins July 1, 2024:
- Nov. 3: Presentation proposals for the February P&S professional development conference
- Dec. 1: CYtation Award nominations
"The dollar amounts for incremental salary funding are not included in the Regent appropriations. Historically, a separate appropriations bill provides funding for new salary increases to all state agencies. This legislation typically requires that regent institutions provide comparable salary increases for non-contract employees as provided for contract-covered employees. The regent institutions request to participate in the salary bill."
The Iowa Legislature hasn't proposed the referenced "salary bill" in the last decade.
The resolution is scheduled for a second reading and vote at the council's Nov. 8 meeting.
In his monthly report to the council, benefits director Ed Holland, university human resources, estimated nearly 1,500 employees watched the Oct. 4 virtual town hall on cost-sharing changes coming in January to the ISU Plan options. Those participants logged about 340 comments and questions, many of which were duplicates and answered during the Q&A portion of the town hall. Holland and his team have followed up with emails or phone calls to nearly all employees who submitted a question.
He shared a handful of questions and answers receiving a lot of attention, including:
The enrollment window for 2024 employee benefits -- including medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts and more -- opens at 8 a.m. Nov. 1 and closes at 5 p.m. Nov. 17. Enrollment is completed in Workday.
Holland encouraged employees to plan ahead if they have questions and want to have a conversation with a benefits specialist prior to enrollment. With 6,800 employees on the ISU Plan and four benefits specialists, their days are full. To schedule an appointment, call the UHR service center (515-294-4800), email the benefits team at benefits@iastate.edu or schedule a virtual or in-person meeting via the Microsoft Bookings app (scroll to the bottom of the open enrollment website for a link to your benefits consultant).
In other council business: