Overall Rating Bronze - expired
Overall Score 36.77
Liaison Ashley Woolman
Submission Date Feb. 16, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

Western Colorado University
PA-9: Employee Compensation

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.00 / 3.00 Julie Feier
CFO
Finance & Administration
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Number of employees:
332

Number of staff and faculty covered by sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies; and/or collective bargaining agreements:
0
+ Date Revised: March 8, 2016

Does the institution have employees of contractors working on-site as part of regular and ongoing campus operations?:
Yes

Number of employees of contractors working on campus:
67

Number of employees of contractors covered by sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies and/or collective bargaining agreements:
0
+ Date Revised: March 8, 2016

A brief description of the sustainable compensation standards, guidelines, or policies; and/or collective bargaining agreements covering staff, faculty and/or employees of contractors:

Sodexo pays market-based wages and recently provided raises.


Does the institution wish to pursue Part 2 of this credit (assessing employee compensation)?:
No
+ Date Revised: March 10, 2016

Number of staff and faculty that receive sustainable compensation:
0
+ Date Revised: March 10, 2016

Number of employees of contractors that receive sustainable compensation:
0
+ Date Revised: March 10, 2016

A brief description of the standard(s) against which compensation was assessed:

We compare ourselves to 40 other institutions

The Governor sets the classified pay scales and cost of living increases.
Exempt staff wages, benefits, etc. are based upon Denver/Boulder Consumer Price Index.

Sodexo completed a wage analysis (for Gunnison County) and based on the findings, increased employees wages.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid regular, full-time employees:

Custodial staff are the lowest paid, but the CFO is in the midst of diversifying the pay scales, so that people with more responsibilities earn a greater salary. $38K /year for highest paid, $35K for mid-range employee, and $25K for newly hired custodial staff.

Employees receive health dental, PARA retirement, annual leave, holiday leave, they can participate in sick leave sharing, and they receive disability and life insurance.

Spouses and children can attend Western tuition-free.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid regular, part-time employees:

Part-time employees must work 32 hours/week to receive benefits. They do receive Medicare and Social Security. Wages range from $8.23 to over $20/hr.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid temporary (non-regular) staff:

Temps can't work more than 6 months, and they have no benefits. They are protected under "right to appeal". The wages range from $8.23 - over $20/hr.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid temporary (non-regular, adjunct or contingent) faculty:

Faculty over .5 FTE receive the same wages and benefits as regular, non-adjunct faculty. Those below .5 FTE receive a per-course stipend, with PhDs and other terminal degrees earning more. Faculty in the School of Business earn more than the rest of faculty on campus.


A brief description of the compensation (wages and benefits) provided to the institution’s lowest paid student employees (graduate and/or undergraduate, as applicable):

Student employees do not receive benefits, regardless of how many hours they work. That said, Western provides an outlet for students to receive discount insurance. Wages range from $8.23/hr. to ~$15/hour.


The local legal minimum hourly wage for regular employees:
8.23 US/Canadian $

Does the institution have an on-site child care facility, partner with a local facility, and/or provide subsidies or financial support to help meet the child care needs of faculty and staff?:
Yes

Does the institution offer a socially responsible investment option for retirement plans?:
Yes

The website URL where information about the institution’s sustainable compensation policies and practices is available:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

Our on-going partnership is that Tenderfoot Childcare Center is on Western's land and we assist them with maintenance. The goal was simply to have a facility where there was none in this end of the Valley. So that the service exists is a subsidy, given it wouldn’t have without our donating the land and Western employees coordinating the grants etc.-it operates as a non-profit and employees our students through work study.


Our on-going partnership is that Tenderfoot Childcare Center is on Western's land and we assist them with maintenance. The goal was simply to have a facility where there was none in this end of the Valley. So that the service exists is a subsidy, given it wouldn’t have without our donating the land and Western employees coordinating the grants etc.-it operates as a non-profit and employees our students through work study.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.