Frequently Asked Questions

This classification and compensation study looks at how the University defines and groups staff jobs and determines the appropriate pay for them. The study draws upon internal information, like our current job descriptions and pay structure, feedback from current employees, but also looks at external information like salary data and approaches taken by other universities. The study will produce recommendations for new job categories, pay grades, and pay administration policies. Ultimately, the study will help us understand how our compensation levels compare to regional and higher-education employers and ensure that our compensation levels are competitive. The goal is to build a sustainable, competitive, and consistent compensation structure.

The project is focused on classified, professional, administrative (staff) positions. The University currently has more than 1,200 active job descriptions for these types of positions. See breakout below for groups that fall within scope of this project:

• Outside of Scope
  • EEO1 Executives
  • Faculty
  • Researchers
  • Coaches
  • Librarians with academic rank
• Within Scope
  • Non-exempt, hourly staff members
  • Exempt, salaried staff members (not listed as unclassified above)

Classification and compensation studies frequently utilize external experts. These projects require a significant amount of time and effort and working with an external firm will allow us to do the work more effectively. An outside partner also brings expertise as well as experience with similar projects at other institutions. University leadership and Human Resources staff are actively involved in all phases of the project. Huron Consulting is the external firm supporting this project.

Huron is a management consulting firm that has a large practice dedicated to working with colleges and universities. Huron was selected through a competitive RFP process and has supported several other large public universities in similar projects. More information about Huron is available on their website: https://www.huronconsultinggroup.com/ The Huron team assigned to View2022 focuses on human resources and talent management professionals in higher education and has worked on other similar projects previously.

Huron will analyze data, develop drafts of job profiles based on feedback from stakeholders across the university. Huron will make recommendations to the University about pay structures and processes. Ultimate 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.

The study creates new structures and processes for setting and adjusting pay. No “automatic” pay increases will be made. No employee’s pay will be reduced as a result of this study. The goal is to build a best in class compensation structure, pay adjustments will be a likely output of this goal, although not all employees will be recommended for an adjustment.

This study will look at the University’s compensation levels compared to the marketplace locally, regionally and nationally, within public higher education, and in some cases general industry. It will provide insight into how our salaries compare. One overarching goal has been and will continue to be to provide a structure that enables our employees to have competitive pay.

Salary compression occurs when a new hire earns close to or more than an employee with more responsibility or a longer period of service might earn. The classification and compensation study will likely include processes to help us avoid compression in the future. Individual instances of compression, will be identified as a part of the study. These will be addressed through HR and unit leaders. No job eliminations or pay reductions will take place because of View 2022

The process of designing the new system and making recommendations typically takes six to eighteen months. Then another six to eighteen months for implementation. View2022 started in July 2022 and is on pace to be completed early Fall 2024. Information has been shared around implementation timing, please see View2022 Communications page for more details The study was completed in December of 2023. Implementation plan has been finalized and approved for a go live in October 2024.

University Human Resources is leading this project. Bryce Drew, the University’s Manager of Compensation and Jody Bevill the University Compensation Specialist will be the primary point of contacts. Leadership and staff members from all levels of the University have been engaged and involved in the synthesis of this new structure. Please visit https://hr.olemiss.edu/compensation/contacts-project-teams/ for a full list of project participants and engagement opportunities.

Yes. Transparency is a guiding principle for the overall project. This website will serve as the central location for all up to date information. As View2022 progresses, many communication channels will be used to share information and updates including UM today messages, the Red and Blue employee e-newsletter, in-person meetings, zoom sessions, Open forums, HR website updates, and town halls meetings, among other channels. We will also rely on engagement from all employees. Please share all information as it becomes available across your respective teams and peers and as always reach out to HR if you have any questions.

You can be confident that your compensation is based on data and reason. We will compare your set of responsibilities to those who perform that same type of work in the market at large and calculate your compensation based on that data. This program will reduce inconsistency, inequity, and lack of definition in the way we compensate our employees.

• A general or automatic university-wide pay adjustment
• An effort to reduce headcount
• Specific reorganization of departments or re-structuring of the University’s hierarchy
• An employee-specific or unit/department performance review

The University has consistently dedicated resources to this important imitative over the past 4 years. Through minimum wage increases, salary increases in July, allocating funds for this project, and funds for implementation. Funding / budgets have always been an factor here at our University and will continue in the years to come. This study now provides much greater levels of data and clarity for decisions making around funding and budgets.

HR Compensation has not communicated with employees directly on their placement within the structure. The implementation plan has employees being notified closer to go live (October 2024) through 2 channels. MyOleMiss Link and through their supervisors. Specifics will be shared through open forums in July / August, as well as direct communication via email, UMToday. Please connect with your supervisors first for any questions!