The Iowa Board of Regents approved a pay increase for employees of the three state universities at its meeting last week.

The total salary package came to a combined $27.9 million for Iowa State, the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.

At ISU, a total of 2,184 professional and scientific employees, 2,145 merit employees and 1,797 faculty members will be affected by the increase.

Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden said the pay increase will go into effect July 1.

“The pay increases for merit employees and many class employees happens every July 1,” he said. “Eventually, the pay increase will be for all employees. The state has tried to stay consistent with pay increases.”

For professional and scientific employees, the increase will average 2 to 3 percent, which is consistent with past state salary increases.

Madden said he thinks the increase was deserved.

“Inflation was part of the issue,” he said. “The other was, in order to attract new employees, the university has to stay competitive with salaries to keep the kind of employees it has.”

Regent David Fisher agreed the increase was necessary to keep Iowa’s universities competitive.

“We want to keep our salaries competitive with other universities,” he said. “In the late ’80s and early ’90s [pay increase] was very low and the university employment was low. Now, we try to maintain a standard.”

Fisher said unions also have an effect on pay increases for merit employees.

Merit employees are covered by the American Federal State County and Municipal Employees Union, which sets the pay rates.

“A lot of pay is determined by the state unions. We follow that,” Fisher said.

To follow the policies passed by the state legislature, the regents passed a 1 percent increase for merit employees and a 3 percent increase for class employees.

Class employees are not affiliated with a union, and their salaries are set by the university.

The pay increase bill, which has been passed by the Legislature and approved by the Board of Regents, now requires Gov. Tom Vilsack’s signature to go into effect.

“He is expected to sign the bill within the next couple days,” Madden said. “If he doesn’t sign the bill, there will be some pretty upset state employees.”

The increase in pay will be given to different units in the university, which will decide how to distribute the appropriations among individual employees.

“Each administrative unit will decide the expected pay increase for individuals based on performance. Not everyone will receive a pay increase,” said John McCarroll, director of University Relations.

McCarroll said the pay increases may vary within the individual universities.

“Each university can set their own pay adjustments. Because of market [demand in certain positions], some employees will be moving up,” McCarroll said.