The TCC board of trustees, in its Aug. 22 meeting, approved a salary increase for all employees.
Chief financial officer Pamela Anglin said some critical investments are being implemented, one of which is the 3% salary increase.
“Our key priorities this year as we’ve worked on the budget — recruitment, retention and completion support,” Anglin said.
This increase, estimated at $7 million, applies to everyone working as of May 31.
This 3% increase aligns with the compensation plans of some other Texas colleges and the consumer price index, which reports how prices have changed in food, housing, energy, transportation, and other factors that impact employees, Anglin said.
Employees have been waiting for another salary increase as the cost of living increases.
“Anything helps, but even with a 3% increase, that averages to like 50 cents,” NE administrative assistant Krista Carson said. “It’s kind of chump change across the whole district when we know there’s a lot of money floating around, but that would only bring us up to the 25th percentile of administrative assistants.”
The concern for staff is that while this is welcome, they feel there is room for improvement, especially when employees like Car-son have to pick up extra jobs to fill the gap occasionally.
“I think the 3% increase as a baseline is a good starting place. However, last year’s raises were not the same as what faculty received,”
Carson said. “Entry-level administrative assistants start at $16.90, below the statewide average of $17.65 and the national average of $19 an hour.”
Casey Mitchell, NE instructor/counselor for college readiness, welcomes the pay increase.
“A 3% increase is what I think we were all kind of hoping for,”
Mitchell said. “Of course, I could always wish for more. Three per-cent is what we have been getting, I think, for the last few years on average, and hearing that it’s still a steady thing is good enough for me.”
The board meeting also approved many other proposals, such as increasing fees of $160,000 for outside legal counsel due to a legal case regarding terminating a vendor, which has also been approved.
The board also approved continuing memorandums of understanding between schools, both within and outside of the State, such as Texas Woman’s University and the University of Oklahoma.
The board also approved purchasing lab kits for the Connect campus and weekend online class-es for biology and chemistry from Barnes and Noble for 2024-25 for $500,000.
