According to chapter 24 of the University of Washington Handbook’s Faculty Code, “A faculty member who is deemed to be meritorious in performance shall be awarded a regular 2 [percent] merit salary increase at the beginning of the following academic year.”

However, given the current financial crisis, UW faculty are expected to forgo the annual two percent salary increase for the upcoming academic biennium.

“Most faculty understand that a 2 percent pay increase this year is a lower priority than saving as many jobs of our colleagues and our staff,” said David Lovell, chair of the UW’s Faculty Senate.

He said that the pay increase normally affects about 4,000 faculty members at the UW. The move to cancel pay raises would save about $6 million, potentially preventing 50 to 100 faculty and staff layoffs.

Decisions about forgoing the pay raise and subsequent revisions to the Faculty Code will be discussed in the Faculty Senate meeting Thursday.

“The funds freed up need to be spent wisely and spent well,” Lovell said. “[We need to] make sure that whatever decisions are made are made according to our rules, our law and our contractual relationship with the university.”

Lovell, however, does not expect a change in the 7.5 percent pay raise for faculty who receive promotions, and said that it would be unfair to tell faculty, “You’ve got the bad luck of being promoted in the wrong year,” since they typically only receive two promotions in their career.

UW faculty includes assistant professors, associate professors, full professors, lecturers, the president and the vice presidents.

The UW is also concerned about retaining sought-after faculty, which is traditionally done by offering higher salaries or other funding incentives. However, under legislative bill 5460, which was unanimously passed by the state Senate last month, the UW will likely be unable to offer competitive wages to faculty members who may otherwise leave for higher-paying positions. The bill aims to reduce administrative costs to the state government by putting restrictions on salary, equipment and travel funds, causing concern about keeping the UW competitive with other institutions.

“One of the reasons why this is so complicated is that even this year, some faculty may be getting offers to leave [the UW] and getting more money to do that,” Lovell said. “Whether its OK to [offer competing salaries] this year, in a situation where almost nobody is getting a pay increase, is also going to be part of the discussion.”

In 2006, the UW settled a lawsuit over faculty salaries when it did not allot the two percent salary increase for 3,000 faculty members in the 2002-03 biennium because of a recession that occurred during that time period. The settlement cost the UW $17.5 million.

“It is a tough situation for all of us, and it’s a sacrifice,” Lovell said.

Reach reporter Emily Lee at news@dailyuw.com.