23 NCAC 02D .0101. ESTABLISHING PAY RATES

(a)  The monthly and annual salaries or hourly rates of pay from state funds for full‑time and part‑time personnel in community colleges shall be established by the college president and approved by the board of trustees within the budget approved for the college by the State Board except that the state‑funded portion of the president's salary shall be approved by the system president in accordance with the state salary schedule for presidents.  Salary increases shall be granted annually or upon promotion to a higher position.  Legislative increases shall be granted according to requirements set forth by the General Assembly.  The State Board shall adopt a minimum and maximum amount of state funds which may be paid to any individual working in a college.  Individuals shall be paid no less than the minimum and not more than the maximum amounts at a level determined by the salary approving authority at the college.

(b)  All hourly, monthly, and annual salaries for full‑time or part‑time personnel shall be certified by the president of the college and reported to the System Office.

(c)  The State Board shall adopt a state salary schedule for presidents in the system.  The System President shall determine the proper placement of a newly‑hired president on the state salary schedule based on the size of the college and the individual's years of eligible experience in accordance with the following provisions:

(1)           For the purpose of this Paragraph, an increment is defined as an additional year of experience on the state salary schedule adopted by the State Board.

(2)           College size shall be determined by the total FTE served and reported in the enrollment reports furnished the system office.

(3)           A president of a post-secondary education institution shall be allowed increments for prior experience on a year-for-year basis for a maximum of 20 years.

(4)           An executive vice president, vice president, other senior administrator of a post-secondary institution, a state-level administrative department, or a superintendent of a public school system may be given increment experience on the president salary schedule upon recommendation of the board of trustees and approval of the System President as follows:

                one increment for three years of actual experience;

                two increments for five years of actual experience;

                three increments for seven years of actual experience;

                four increments for 10 or more years of actual experience.

A president, chief operating officer or chief financial officer of a business or industry may be granted increment experience as provided in this Part.

(A)          Progression form the minimum or "0" step to the midpoint or step "20" shall be based on additional years of experience;

(B)          Advancement toward grade maximum after attaining the midpoint of the grade shall be based on merit increases as recommended by the local boards and within state allocations available;

(C)          Newly-hired presidents shall not receive salary increments for any years in which a salary freeze was in effect for community college presidents.

(5)           Changes in grade levels:

(A)          Presidents with 0 to 20 years of eligible experience moving to another grade shall be placed in the new grade's range at the current experience level; and

(B)          Presidents with greater than 20 years of experience moving to a lower grade will receive a salary adjustment only if the current salary exceeds the new salary grade's maximum salary limit, in which case, the salary will be adjusted to the maximum of the new grade.

(6)           Total salary compensation from all sources shall not exceed the maximum for the salary grade as determined by the college's size.  Salary compensation is defined as those monies paid from whatever source for which no documentation or expense is required, or which is treated as salary for retirement benefit purposes.

(7)           An interim or acting president's salary will be set at the step of the salary grade for the respective college.  Years of eligible experience will be awarded up to  20 years for placement on the appropriate step.  However, a board of trustees may grant a college employee appointed interim or acting president a 10 percent salary increase instead of placing the employee on the president's salary schedule.

(8)           Presidential salary grades shall reflect the following:

FTE                        Minimum                              Midpoint                               Maximum

These data shall be increased annually based on legislative action and reviewed no less than every three years to assure their continued national competitiveness.

(d)  Post-secondary institution as used in this Rule means a junior college, community college or four-year institution of higher education.

History Note:        Authority G.S. 115D‑5; 115D‑54; S.L. 2005-276;

Eff. February 1, 1976;

Amended Eff. March 1, 2007; December 1, 2004; September 1, 1993; December 1, 1989; July 1, 1984; August 1, 1981.