Dear Colleagues: 

Happy New Year! As our spring 2025 semester begins, I want to start by thanking you for the commitment and collegiality you bring to UNCW each day. I first saw your dedication and hard work in action a decade ago, when I joined the university as a dean, and I have watched you soar ever since. You are the cornerstone of UNCW's ongoing achievements, and I am incredibly proud of the university we have built together. 

I have good news to share with you. In recognition of your contributions to the university, I am pleased to announce that eligible employees will receive a 1% base salary increase, which went into effect on January 1, 2025. This increase will be reflected in your January 31, 2025, paychecks. 

This $2 million initiative reflects UNCW's ongoing commitment to invest in our faculty and staff, as emphasized in our Strategic Plan. This investment by the university augments the 3% legislative salary increase eligible employees received on July 1, 2024. All told, more than 2,200 employees – nearly 95% of our faculty and staff – are eligible for this 1% salary increase under the criteria outlined below and on the Human Resources website.  

I am proud of the teams in Business Affairs and Human Resources, led by Vice Chancellor Miles Lackey and Associate Vice Chancellor Lori Preiss, for their leadership in helping UNCW enhance salaries for our employees. Please see the information below and, if you have questions, please contact Human Resources at SalaryAdmin_Leavekeeping@uncw.edu.

Eligibility criteria 

1. Employees must be permanent benefits-eligible part-time (.50 FTE or greater) or full-time SHRA, EPS, or faculty (including time-limited and probationary employees). EPS (Exempt Professional Staff) is the new UNC System category for employees previously included in the SAAO Tier II and EHRA IRIT categories.
2. Temporary employees, part-time faculty, and student employees are ineligible. 
3. Athletic coaches with contracts should refer to their current contract for discretionary increase eligibility.  
4. Employees must be employed in an eligible SHRA, EPS, or faculty position December 31, 2024, with continued eligible employment in January 2025. 
5. Employees must be in good standing with no active disciplinary actions and an overall rating of “meeting expectations” or higher on their most recent performance appraisal. 
6. The salary increase cannot result in a salary that exceeds UNC System delegated on-campus approval authority for the employee type. Ineligible employees based on UNC System guidelines include:
   • EPS employees with a base salary of $125,000 or higher with a cumulative increase since June 30, 2024, that exceeds 10%
   • EPS employees with a base salary of $125,000 or higher that exceeds the 75th percentile of their salary range
   • Faculty who exceed the maximum of their salary range
   • Faculty in the first year of phased retirement
   • SHRA employees above 115% of the market reference rate for their career band competency level
   • SHRA employees whose new salary would exceed the market rate of the next higher competency level within their career band
   • SHRA employees who exceed the maximum of the salary range for their career band
   • SHRA employees with a base salary of $125,000 or higher with a cumulative increase since June 30, 2024, that exceeds 10%
   • SAAO employees (formerly known as SAAO Tier 1) - vice chancellors, deans, general counsel 

Note: The 1% salary increase is calculated on the December 31, 2024, base salary and excludes any non-permanent administrative salary supplements or salary increase in place for an interim appointment or temporary increased duties. For administrators returning to a faculty position January 1, 2025, the 1% increase is calculated on their January 1, 2025, 9-month faculty salary. 

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to our students, to each other, and to UNCW. Based on what we have already accomplished together, I know we will continue to uplift our people, programs and possibilities in the year ahead.  

Wishing all of you a happy, healthy and productive 2025! 

Yours in Seahawk Service, 

Aswani K. Volety
Chancellor