“M’s at McGill: Current status, concerns, salary policy, and future directions”

1. “M’s at McGill: Current status, concerns, salary policy, and future directions” Prof. Anthony C. Masi, Provost McGill University Management Forum 2007 New Residence Hall Ballroom 27 November 2007

2. M-staff: 2003-2007 • increase of 291 positions (31.2%) • “term positions” increased by only 11, from 284 to 295 (3.9%) over the same period • “total growth” in administrative and support staff: 2853 to 3398, or 545 positions (19.1%) • much faster growth than “academic renewal” • net growth of tenure-track staff from 2003 to 2007: 1394 to 1571 or 12.7% • students increased by only 4.3%

3. Why this growth in “M’s”? • support for the mission of the University • front-line, back-office: services orientation • integral element of McGill’s strategic plans

4. Issues of concern • communications • career development • management skills • leadership • performance dialogue • salary policy

5. Communications • M’s need mechanisms for involvement in McGill’s strategic thinking • white paper • student life and learning • master plan • campaign McGill • M’s need to be more involved in and more informed about the development of “policies” • M-Forum and other venues

6. Career development • opportunities to develop skills, duties, and responsibilities • measuring competencies and contributions • programs and tools • access, relevance, impact • vertical and horizontal moves • backfill, backup and succession planning

7. Management skills • people • resources • projects • managing-up • managing-down • peer relationships

8. Leadership • understanding context • seeing what others do not • integrating materials • building teams • execution, results, delivery • mentoring

9. Performance dialogue • setting goals and expectations • measuring outcomes and achievements • establishing priorities • planning strategies • adaptability, flexibility, with focus • dealing with stress • collegiality • discussing assessments and opportunities

10. Salary policy 1 • goals: equity, fair play, and transparency • several years of budget deficits but no cuts, until this fiscal year • MELS: requirement to balance deficit in short term • Board of Governors: requirement to develop plan for repaying debt in medium term • FY 2007-2008 • first year of budget cuts, in the form of re-allocations, totalling over $9M, but no reductions in staff

11. Salary policy 2 • for academics: competitiveness with McGill’s peer institutions in Canada (and in consultation with MAUT) • Principal Shapiro (be at or above the median of the G-10) • Principal Munroe-Blum (be among the top 4 in the G-13) • for M’s: competitiveness in the local labour market (and consultation with staff association) • for unionised staff: consistency with previous settlements in collective agreement and based on mandatory negotiations

12. Salary policy 3 • 2007-08 academic salary policy at 5.8% is “all in”: • minimum increase (1.35%) • merit (3.35%) • Subtotal (comparable to M salary policy): 4.7% • retentions, anomalies, equity issues (0.6%) • promotional increases (0.4%) • professional development allowances and “Faculty club” salary diversion indexation (0.1%)

13. Salary policy 4 • M’s salary policy, 2.5%, contains: • minimum increase (1.35%) • merit (1.15%) • but, for M’s the University picks up, “off-policy”: • professional development costs (0.5%) • promotional increases, reclassifications, equity issues (1.5%) • index for “Summer Flex-days” (0.004%) • if calculated as “academic policy” = 4.50%

14. Salary policy 5 • McGill difference is comparable to other Quebec universities for FY 2007-2008: • faculty increases ranged from 4% to 5% • administrative and support staff increases ranged from 2% to 3%

15. Salary policy 6 • external “drivers” of salary policy decisions: • historical trends (where possible) • “co-operative wage survey” (others tell us and we tell them) • research on public sector and relevant private sector wage settlements (as indicated in data from Statistics Canada quarterly) • quarterly wage settlements for Quebec public service 2006 (average 2.1%): • average across 4 “similar” sectors for 2006: 2.4%

16. Salary policy 7 • McGill’s position for academics has failed to keep up with the comparators or the principles of the Principals • barely 5th among the original G-10, 7th among the G-13 • yet, performance indicators such as Maclean’s and the “Times Higher Education Supplement” place us at the top of Canada’s universities • recruitment and retention are major issues for faculty • external hires into McGill create new pressures on salary expectations for current faculty • equity considerations based on matching offers for those recruited away from McGill

17. 2007-08 “M” HR Objectives 1 • staff development and training • leadership development program • organisational development function • HR presence and support in the community • HR to partner with units and work teams

18. 2007-08 “M” HR Objectives 2 • review and enhance recognition programs • years of service recognition (Lapel Pin Program) • quarter century ceremony • Principal’s awards • creating an endowment to fund these in perpetuity

19. 2007-08 “M” HR Objectives 3a • M compensation: • define McGill’s total compensation philosophy (aligned with the University’s goals, objectives, and strategies) • review M compensation structure to ensure its alignment with philosophy and goals • determine positioning within reference market(s) to ensure competitiveness in attracting and retaining best talent • public sector in Quebec (and Canada?) • universities and non-profit organisations in Quebec • large Montreal employers in “similar” sectors

20. 2007-08 “M” HR Objectives 3b • determine components of total compensation • base salary • incentive/variable pay • emphasis on “pay for performance” (merit) • review the merit model and its implementation • ensure salary scales reflect competitive positioning

21. 2007-08 “M” HR Objectives 3c • provide in-depth analysis, engage in consultations, and develop recommendations for FY 2008-09 and beyond • compensation programs • structures • processes • develop a multi-year model for M and academic salary policies

22. Conclusion 1 • M staff at McGill: • valuable and valued colleagues • contributors to McGill’s success • but their direct comparators for compensation and salary policy are not tenure track faculty

23. Conclusion 2 • institutional commitment • consult earlier and broadly on design of salary (and other) policies • continue to be transparent about the “drivers”, indicators, and rationales • provide accurate and timely data on market comparators • communicate on all issues, but especially salary policy, more effectively

24. Conclusion 3 • Provost’s commitment • “clear understandings make for long friendships” • within the constraints just outlined: • do what can be done to recognise, morally and materially, the dedication, loyalty, contributions, hard work, and achievements of M staff at McGill • Thank you for inviting me to address M-Forum, for you time, and your attention!

25. Do you have questions for my answers?