We are confirming the current campus process governing the allocation of academic upgrade/downgrade provision funds. Currently, the central campus retains salary funds which accrue from downgrading vacated faculty positions and provides upgrade funding for new faculty hires and promotions. Funding for upgrade, downgrade, and promotion is provided to faculty Base Salary-Suspense (BSE) appointments only. These include BSE assignments for faculty appointed in the Ladder Rank, In Residence, Clinical X, and HS Clinical, with the corresponding Class Title Outline (CTO) codes 010, 011, 311, 317, 341. Individuals (including those with BSE appointments) who are appointed in non-faculty academic series (i.e., outside CTO Codes 010, 011, 311, 317, 341) are not eligible for funding.
Upgrade
To be eligible for upgrade funding for a vacant position, the appointment must be made from an unfilled provision existing with Title Code 1310 (CTO 011). When a faculty member is appointed to a vacant position, the salary per Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is upgraded from an Assistant Professor III provision (Title Code 1310) to the salary corresponding to the rank and step of the person hired using the 2007-08 salary scales. This salary scale is used by the University of California Office of the President because 2007-08 was the last year for which range adjustment money was distributed to the campus. Upgrade funding cannot be used to create new positions. Non-faculty unfilled provisions cannot be converted into faculty provisions. When a faculty member is appointed to a vacant position at the Above Scale step, the salary is set at 1.05 (rounded to the nearest hundred) of the Professor Step IX 2007-08 salary scale.
Downgrade
As a faculty position is vacated, the base salary is downgraded to $69,000* per FTE at the Assistant Professor Step III (Title Code 1310) level using the 2007-08 salary scales. When an existing non-faculty BSE appointment is vacated, there will be no downgrading process. The unit will retain the full budget associated with the salary associated with the non-faculty individual who is leaving the position.
Promotion
A promotion is defined as an advancement through the faculty ranks and is eligible for upgrade funding at the 2007-08 salary scale of the promoted rank. This includes Change in Series appointments. This does not include an advancement of a Professor V to VI, and does not include Professor Step IX to Above Scale (A/S) as these are merit actions.
Annual Budget Augmentation
As part of the annual budget process, the Control Points may receive an allocation of pooled funds to assist with merits and fixed cost increases for both faculty and non-faculty positions paid by core campus funds. This funding is provided to help cover increased salary obligations, such as merits.
*There are a few exceptions where unfilled provisions are budgeted at lower than $69,000 per FTE. These unfilled provisions will remain funded as is until filled and are upgraded per the normal process outlined above. Once they are vacated, they will be returned to the vacant provision pool at the 2007-08 salary scale ($69,000 per FTE).