SARA ROSNER
Staff Writer
While many students may be oblivious to Pepperdine staff members who make the campus go ‘round, their contribution has been recognized with a pay raise this year.
The wage increases, most of which became effective at the beginning of August, are a result of a 9 percent pay-scales increase. The change means that the lowest paid workers received a raise in wages, and it also increased the potential for what the higher paid workers can make.
This is the first time the scales have been changed in several years and will affect employees who are either new to the university or whose pay was raised to bring them up to the new levels.
According to Chief of Human Resources Chip Moore, the raise was implemented to secure Pepperdine’s position as a competitive employer.
“The objectives are to attract, retain and motivate employees who contribute to the mission of the University,” Moore said.
Some workers expressed contentment.
Esteban Alamillo of Facility Management and Planning (FMP) has been working at Pepperdine for 20 years and is satisfied with his raise.
“I’m not complaining about it,” said Alamillo, who received a 4-percent increase. “It’s better than other places and I like working here for the fresh air.”
Manuel Curiel, also of FMP, said that he enjoys his job even though the amount in raises goes up and down.
“I love the place, I plan to stay here until retirement. It’s worth it,” Curiel said.
Some workers were unhappy with the raise.
“It would be nice if they could show us just a little more appreciation than what we get,” said FMP plumber John Ghianully as he waited to fix the men’s bathroom in the Appleby Center.
“I mean, even a dollar would make a difference,” Ghianully said.
Ragy George, who works at Fresca Café in the Center for Communication and Business, agreed.
“Compared to the salaries outside of Pepperdine, any coffee shop pays better than this,” George said.
While sentiments about the raise varied among workers, most agree that the benefits at Pepperdine are good.
“The benefits are great,” said Ghianully, who plans to send his daughter to Pepperdine.
In addition to health care coverage, relatives of staff may attend Pepperdine at greatly reduced tuition rates.
In addition to the pay-scale increase, staff members are eligible for a 0-7 percent raise after their annual job-performance review. For example, an excellent job performance evaluation could merit a 7 percent increase, while a commendable evaluation may only merit a 4 percent increase.
Pepperdine has allotted 4 percent of last year’s salaries for such raises.
The Seaver Faculty Association of Pepperdine has also garnered a salary increase for certain faculty members. Before the change, full professors who had reached the top of the promotional ladder were only eligible for raises of up to $2,000 after a review that occurs every five years by the Rank, Tenure and Promotion Committee.
“After you reached full professor, there was just no reward for improvement,” said former SFA president and economics professor, Dr. Ron Batchelder. “It was like, what’s the incentive anymore?”
According to Batchelder, the central administration approved a proposal submitted by the SFA late last spring. This new proposal will make full professors eligible for a raise of up to $5,000 every five years.
Supporting this new pay raise system for faculty will cost approximately $318,000. According to an e-mail from Seaver Dean David Baird, these costs were not exacted from tuition increases but from enrolling 32 more students than originally planned.
Although different entities are responsible for hiring faculty, Moore and Batchelder both said that such raises were necessary to the quality of education at Pepperdine.
“The university hopes to move toward an ever more competitive position in order to provide support to its educational and spiritual mission,” Moore said.
09-15-2005