BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The NorthWest Arkansas Community College (NWACC) Board of Trustees approved the college's 2025 budget on May 20, which included an increase in employee pay.
Of that budget, $2.6 million will be allocated for increasing salaries and updating the baseline pay for full-time staff and faculty members.
"Along with the increases that were given in fall 2023, and with the resulting increases in employee benefit costs as a result of compensation increases, the total investment in this project is just under $4 million in less than 12 months and that is astounding," said Catherin Doner, NWACC’s interim vice president of finance & administration.
According to NWACC President Dr. Dennis Rittle, this initiative to increase wages is a tactic to keep valued employees and attract future ones.
"The most frequent request of our employees was to bring our compensation to a competitive level so that we can better recruit and retain talent," Dr. Rittle said. "Our students have consistently voiced the importance of high-quality faculty and staff. These unified efforts of employees and trustees to bring our workforce compensation to market baselines go a long way in serving our students and valuing our employees."
According to NWACC, "virtually all NWACC employees will be impacted." However, the type of employee will see different changes.
- Staff
- Most full-time staff will receive an increase when salaries are moved to a market baseline, and all full-time staff will receive a 3% cost of living adjustment that will be applied to salaries after the market baseline increase.
- Part-time staff will receive increases.
- Faculty
- Full-time and Adjunct faculty will see salary increases.
"Many salary increases will be life-changing for our valued employees, and we are thrilled to be able to provide these increases to our amazing faculty and staff," said Lisa Milam, executive director of human resources. "In addition, we project these increases will help retain our talent, which will greatly benefit our students and their success."
The changes are expected to go into effect in July.
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