Office of the Chancellor

Performance Reviews and FY 2020 Merit Increase Program

March 27, 2019

Dear Colleagues,

Our new Success Factors system has been up and running for several months now, and the campus community is currently involved in the annual performance review process for 2018-2019. This is a tremendous opportunity to build on the successful performance review process we began last summer (achieving 100 percent completion), as well as an opportunity to create a more systematic approach to linking individual performance to meaningful and sustainable merit increases.

As you will recall, the leadership team had hoped that the university would be able to offer a merit increase last fall that would be applied to base salaries for eligible employees. While we achieved impressive enrollment increases for fall 2018, the university’s financial situation could not support such an increase. We were able to provide, however, a one-time service recognition payment of $1,200 for eligible faculty and staff.

As we continue to gain momentum in terms of enrollment growth for fall 2019, we are confident that the university will be in an improved financial situation for FY 2020. Therefore, on behalf of the leadership team, I’m pleased to announce that we have decided to allocate a $1,150,000 merit/benefits pool for FY 2020. Merit increases would be applied to permanent base salaries.

Individual merit increases must be supported by, and in alignment with, a performance evaluation for the current fiscal year (due April 30, 2019). To be eligible, an individual must have been provided a performance evaluation, must be rated as meeting or exceeding expectations, and must not be subject to a Performance Improvement Plan during 2018-19. 

Additional information regarding the merit process, including full eligibility requirements and detailed guidelines, will be forthcoming from the Office of Human Resources and Institutional Equity in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, should you have questions about performance reviews or the Success Factors system, please contact Dimples Smith at [email protected]or 260-481-6681.

As a reminder, the annual budget for each institution in the Purdue University system is developed and managed by the respective institution. Any merit increases are subject to the financial health of the individual institution and the availability of funds in its annual budget. Each institution, therefore, develops, announces, and administers its own plan for merit increases, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees.

The executive team and I are committed to continuing to improve the financial stability for Purdue Fort Wayne. We certainly value the critical importance of being able to maintain a talented, engaged, and motivated workforce.

Thank you for all you do to support the university’s mission and for your dedication to ensuring the success of our students.

Sincerely,

Ron Elsenbaumer
Chancellor