Like many organizations, Metropolitan State University of Denver faced significant challenges during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the University was able to maintain stability and advance its mission in new and exciting ways thanks to a dedicated and passionate workforce. Last September, as a thank you to employees, President Janine Davidson, Ph.D., and the Board of Trustees approved a one-time $500 Covid-19 retention stipend for full-time faculty and professional staff members. The stipend applies to all full-time faculty and professional staff members who were hired before last July 1 and have continued to be employed with the University through April 1. The stipend will be included in April 30 paychecks. Questions about the retention stipend can be sent to Human Resources at [email protected].
“Our faculty and staff have shown resilience and dedication to our mission and to each other throughout the pandemic, while remaining focused on the student experience,” Davidson said. “Our employees are our most valuable resource, and I cannot thank them enough for continuing to meet students where they are year after year.”
The stipend is just one way the University has prioritized recognition and compensation over the past year. In September, trustees approved a 1.75% across-the-board base salary increase for all faculty members, professional-staff members and administrators as well as $1,500 and $700 stipends (based on employees’ start dates) that were disbursed in fall. The University also used Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund monies to make strategic investments to improve employees’ work experiences, focusing on professional-development initiatives, classroom upgrades, critical technology and administrative support systems.
Additionally, the Human Resources team and the Office of the President have worked to adjust the professional staff annual leave rollover to account for the Covid-19 pandemic, providing more time for staff members to rest and recharge. The University also continues to offer a robust tuition benefit program to employees and their spouses/dependents and proactively increased the minimum wage in fall 2020, benefiting student employees and hourly employees.
To learn more about MSU Denver’s robust benefits package and ongoing efforts to ensure competitive compensation, visit the Human Resources SharePoint page.