A classification and compensation study examines how an employer creates, defines, and associates jobs that perform similar or related work. Through the study, jobs are categorized by UNLV subfamilies that are built on clear job descriptions and illustrate, wherever possible, pathways for career progression and growth. The study also examines how those positions are compensated compared to each other and to similar positions in external markets.

The study creates new structures and processes for setting and adjusting salaries. No “automatic” salary increases will be made.

UNLV’s compensation and classification study is titled Rebel Future to represent the university’s mission to invest in its employees.

Rebel Future is a building block to one of our Top Tier 2.0 strategic objectives, in creating opportunities for career progression. UNLV seeks to be a model employer so we can attract and retain the best talent. Part of this includes having the right approach to defining jobs and managing compensation. Our current practices are complicated, hard to navigate, difficult to update, and do not create clear pathways for advancement for administrative faculty employees. As a result, like many other universities, we are undertaking this study to develop a new, more modern approach.

Compensation practices have developed organically, and our approach no longer aligns to benchmark best-in-class practices.  One example of this is that we have approximately 1,500 administrative faculty positions, many of which have very specific titles and PDQs for each and every job.  This makes it very difficult to compare roles across the university and to our competitors.

The study will review and update most administrative faculty positions.

This study will not impact:

• Executives (deans, vice presidents)
• Postdoctoral scholars
• Academic faculty
• Classified staff
• Head coaches
• Temporary employees (letters of appointment, dental and medical residents, temporary hourly, graduate assistants, and student workers)

Job architecture is a series of progressively higher related jobs distinguished by levels of knowledge, skills, abilities (competencies), and other factors. It includes four key components that are tied to each job through a job description, a high-level definition of a job’s purpose, responsibilities, and qualifications.

Rebel Future will define the university’s market strategy and peer groups. This information will help leadership formulate a compensation philosophy that strives to be competitive and inform how we manage compensation over the long term.

The classification and compensation team, along with Huron Consulting, is leading this study. An advisory group will provide input on the process and recommendations. As specific recommendations are developed, campus subject matter experts and governance groups will be invited to provide input.

The advisory group committee members include:

• Alexandra Nikolich, senior executive director of strategic initiatives for Business Affairs
• Deb Powell, executive director for Academic Resources
• Janet Dufek, vice provost of Faculty Affairs
• John Starkey, senior academic advisor and chair of the Admin Faculty Committee
• Kyle Kaalberg, executive director, strategy and strategic Initiatives, Office of the President
• Lori Ciccone, executive director of Research Administration
• Laurel Pritchard, vice provost for undergraduate education
• Zhanna Aronov, senior director for operations, Center for Academic Enrichment & Outreach

Huron Consulting

These types of studies frequently utilize external experts who have experience not only with job classification schemes, but also familiarity and access to specialized data sets related to compensation. Assistance from an external firm will help ensure focused attention and the right expertise. UNLV selected Huron through a competitive RFP process as our consulting partner for this study.

Huron has a large practice dedicated to working with colleges and universities. The team assigned to our UNLV study focuses on human resources and talent management in higher education and has worked on other similar studies.

More information about Huron is available on their website.

Huron’s Role

Huron will analyze data, develop drafts of job descriptions, and make recommendations about salary structures and processes. Changes will be informed by that work, but all final decisions will be made by the university in consultation with stakeholders. Any changes will be taken with consideration of university policy and any applicable regulations.